Iconic giant sculpture 'Boy' packed for move to the Netherlands

The renowned "Boy" sculpture, a centerpiece of the ARoS art museum in Aarhus, Denmark, is embarking on its first-ever journey away from home. The 4.5-meter-tall, 500-kilogram fiberglass artwork by Australian artist Ron Mueck is on loan to the Museum Voorlinden near The Hague in the Netherlands.

The meticulous process of packing the colossal sculpture began on Monday and is expected to take three days. "We haven't lent him out before, so it's naturally a bit nerve-wracking. He is, after all, one of our major attractions," said Anne Mette Thomsen, the collection manager at ARoS.

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We haven't lent him out before, so it's naturally a bit nerve-wracking. He is, after all, one of our major attractions.

"Boy" has been a fixture at the Aarhus museum since its opening in 2004. The sculpture, bolted to the floor, will be carefully disassembled into two parts using a specially constructed hoist. "We build a hoist around him. Then there's a hatch in the back that can be opened, and one can climb in and loosen the sculpture in two parts," Thomsen explained.

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We build a hoist around him. Then there's a hatch in the back that can be opened, and one can climb in and loosen the sculpture in two parts.

Once packed into custom crates, the giant figure will travel via special transport with an escort vehicle from Aarhus to the Netherlands. ARoS has partnered with the same transport company that recently handled the transportation of the Bayeux Tapestry from France to London for the British Museum. "Boy" will be a key exhibit in the "Celebrating the Icons of Art" exhibition at Museum Voorlinden.

In exchange, ARoS will borrow another lifelike sculpture by Mueck from the Dutch museum: "Couple Under an Umbrella," depicting an elderly couple. "The work is not quite as large as 'Boy,' but still twice the size of a human. It gives the same effect of an enlarged human life, where you can see, for example, all the wrinkles of the elderly couple," Thomsen noted. The "Couple Under an Umbrella" sculpture will be on display at ARoS starting September 12. "Boy" is scheduled to return to Aarhus in March 2027.

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The work is not quite as large as 'Boy,' but still twice the size of a human. It gives the same effect of an enlarged human life, where you can see, for example, all the wrinkles of the elderly couple.