Nimis in north-west Skåne

by René Timmermans | Jul 30, 2012 | Photography

Click the image to enlarge.

In July we have been on sight-seeing in Skåne, the most southern province of Sweden. One day we visited the natural reserve Kullaberg in north-west Skåne. This is the area where the sculpture Nimis is build.

Nimis, which is Latin for “too much”, is a series of wooden sculptures constructed by artist Professor Lars Vilks. They are a massive, wooden labyrinthine structure connected by several wooden towers. The structure consist of 75 tonnes of driftwood the artist has found on the coastline.

Lars Vilks started to build Nimis in 1980 and it has been the subject of a long-running legal dispute between the Swedish authorities and the artist. As no permission was given to build on the site within the nature reserve, the County Administrative Board in Skåne has sought to have Nimis demolished, despite the fact that it has become a popular tourist attraction.

As Nimis’ existence is not sanctioned by the state, it is difficult to find – there are no official sign posts, nor is it marked on maps. It lies a few kilometers northwest of the town of Arild and somewhat farther from the town of Mölle, and can only be reached on foot following a well-worn path with yellow “N”s painted on trees and fences. The path begins as an easy stroll past Himmelstorp, a well-preserved eighteenth-century farmstead, but quickly becomes a steep and rocky climb down to the coast.