On the Way – Sweden - Atlas Obscura

On the Way

Enigmatic bug-like sculptures mystify drivers along a Swedish highway. 

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Are those insects? Aliens from “War of the Worlds?” Giant cloudberries with legs? Whatever they might look like, the “On the Way” sculptures outside of Vaggeryd fascinate people passing by.

Exactly what these sculptures along the E4 highway represent is not known. Thomas Nordström, one of the artists who created On the Way, has been reticent to give any explanation, saying only that it’s a public piece of art and that any interpretations are up to the beholders.

The sculptures were carefully designed to be visible to everyone passing by on the highway (but at the same time not steal too much of a driver’s attention). One must admit that the artists succeeded: At 26 feet (8 meters) tall and 20 feet (6 meters) long, and the forest illuminated with red light in the dark, the enigmatic figures are hard to miss.

Know Before You Go

The sculptures can be seen on the right side of the E4 highway when traveling north from the town of Vaggeryd. It is possible to park the car at a road parallel to the highway, Hagastigen, and walk a few hundred meters through the forest to reach them by foot. You are NOT allowed to pull over on the highway.It is 25km away from Jönköping.

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