Souls of residents past

Temporary Public Commission near Holmentorget, Norrköping | 2020

Black steel and lighting

A kinetic shadow sculpture created for Norrköping Light Festival.

The work is designed to feel like encountering a mysterious, old amusement park machine—part eerie artifact, part magical device. When visitors turn its crank, the machine comes alive with clattering gears, creaking springs, and flickering light.

Projected shadows and shifting silhouettes reveal fleeting glimpses of imagined former residents—echoes of lives once lived in the surrounding area. Like scenes from an antique film, the moving images appear blurred and dreamlike, inviting reflection on presence, memory, and place.

Built from rusted steel and salvaged machine parts in a late-19th-century industrial style, the sculpture emits its own light, becoming a glowing beacon in the dark. When inactive, it rests quietly, dimly lit, waiting to be awakened.

Durable and weather-resistant, the piece is crafted to withstand both time and touch, while remaining safe and accessible for all visitors.

This sculpture is currently available for exhibition or acquisition. Contact the artist.

A close-up of Olav Lunde’s sculpture "Souls of Residents Past," illuminated from within. Small, silhouette-like figures—including a horse and a person—are attached to a complex system of gears and chains, appearing to orbit the central light source like a mechanical shadow box.

A detailed shot of Olav Lunde's "Souls of Residents Past," highlighting a miniature ballerina figure welded to a heavy steel bolt. The warm spotlighting emphasizes the textured surface of the gear base and the elegant lines of the dancer.

A nighttime installation of Olav Lunde's "Souls of Residents Past." A bright spotlight from the industrial sculpture projects a large, ethereal shadow of a horse onto the wall of an adjacent building, creating a haunting tribute to the area's history.

A visitor interacting with the kinetic sculpture "Souls of Residents Past" by Olav Lunde, featuring a large wooden wheel and industrial iron components illuminated at night.