Gullringens Gerd

Memorial to Ellisiv of Kyiv, Princess of Kyiv and Queen of Norway (1046–1067).
Harald Hårdrådes Plass, Oslo (NO).

Røyken granite, onyx stone, bronze.

Public artwork commissioned for Oslo Municipality, (NO).

From the spring equinox to the autumn equinox, the memorial is illuminated by the sun as it rises in the south-eastern sky. A golden circle of sunlight appears on the onyx stone, cast through a conical cavity with an opening at the back. When the circle of light is centered on the front of the sculpture, it marks the exact moment when the sun stands in direct alignment with Oslo and Kyiv — symbolically linking the two nations once united through Ellisiv.

The inspiration for the work is drawn from the saga of Snorri Sturluson about Harald Hårdråde, in which Ellisiv is referred to as “Gullringens Gerd”. The work is a sculptural interpretation of this reference and is also inspired by Nordic astronomical stone structures and navigation methods from the early Middle Ages.

2025

Photocredits: Istvan Virag, Oslo Kommunes Kunstsamling.