Talking Statues is a project created initially in 2013 by David Peter Fox in Copenhagen, Denmark involving pre-recorded voiceovers accompanying various statues available in a smartphone app. The statue of Hans Christian Andersen in the King's Garden in Copenhagen was the first talking statue in the world. Later the idea was applied in Helsinki, New York, London, San Diego, Chicago, Vilnius, Parma, Dublin, Berlin, Manchester, and others.

Talking Statues logo
Scanning the QR code at statue
Bypasser testing statue in Copenhagen
Talking Statues folder from Copenhagen 2013
Map of Talking Statues Copenhagen
Newspaper add, Talking Statues, 2013

The project works with mobile technology and activated through a QR code found on the statue, when you scan it you will be called. You can also download our app, then you can find the Talking Statues in the world and have it talk to GPS so that they call you on your smartphone when you get close to the statue.

The project started in Kings Garden in Copenhagen, where Fox accompanied his two children Alfred and Leah to kindergarten. On the way, they passed the many statues, including H. C. Andersen, who became the first Talking Statue in the world launched on 13th of September 2013.

In connection with the launch, a leaflet designed by Mathilde Lunderskov was published with a map of the 10 Talking Statues. The monologues were written by film director Carsten Rudolf in collaboration with David Peter Fox and the performance was made by actor Jens Jacob Tychsen. The first project was overseen from the start by Jens Peter Munk from the Municipality, who has written several books about these statues in Copenhagen. The project in 2013 was supported by the City of Copenhagen financially.

The logo for Talking Statues was first used in 2013 when the project was launched in Copenhagen. Since then, it has been used in the various countries, especially on signs and also on the project's app in Google Play and App Store


Please contact us if we can assist you making Talking Statues in your city www.talkingstatues.com


Talking Statues is a registed trademark in Europe and USA

Copenhagen Denmark Find the Talking Statues in Copenhagen 2013
Helsinki Finland Find the Talking Statues in Helsinki 2014
London England Find the Talking Statues in London 2014
Chicargo America Find the Talking Statues in Chicargo 2015
San Diego America Find the Talking Statues in San Diego 2015
New York America Find theTalking Statues in New York 2016
Manchester England Find the Talking Statues in Manchester 2014
Leeds England Find the Talking Statues in Leeds 2016
Dublin Ireland Find the Talking Statues in Dublin 2017
Vilnius Lithuania Find the Talking Statues in Vilnius 2015
Berlin Germany Find the Talking Statues in Berlin 2015
Tbilisi Georgia Find the Talking Statues in Tbilisi 2021
Parma Italy Find the Talking Statues in Parma 2021
Abeerdeen Scotland Find the talking statues in Abeerdeen 2023
Boston America Find the Talking Statues in Boston 2023



List of statues

Copenhagen

Image Statue Location Author Actor(s)
Hans Christian Andersen King's Garden Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
N. F. S. Grundtvig Vartov Yard Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
Søren Kierkegaard Royal Library Garden Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
Ludvig Holberg The Royal Theater, Copenhagen Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
Adam Oehlenschläger The Royal Theater, Copenhagen Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
Frederik V Amalienborg Palace Square Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
Christian IV Øster Voldgade, Copenhagen Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
Tycho Brahe Copenhagen Observatorium Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
Hans Christian Andersen City Town Hall, Copenhagen Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen
Hans Christian Ørsted Ørstedsparken, Copenhagen Carsten Rudolf / David Peter Fox Jens Jacob Tychsen

London

Qif codes and plaques are no longer there.

Image Statue Location Author Actor(s)
Peter Pan Kensington Gardens Ella Hickson Daniel Roche
Queen Victoria Blackfriars Bridge Elizabeth Day Prunella Scales
Dick Whittington’s Cat Highgate Hill Helen Lederer Helen Lederer
Hugh Myddleton Islington Green Tom Basden Jonny Sweet
The Broad Family Broadgate, City of London Lucy Caldwell Maisie Williams
The Goat Spitalfields Market Hugh Dennis Hugh Dennis
Eye I Bishopsgate Sara Pascoe Sara Pascoe
John Wilkes Fetter Lane, Holborn Jeremy Paxman Jeremy Paxman
Rowland Hill City of London Colette Hiller Alan Johnson, MP
Hodge the Cat Gough Square, Holborn Catherine Hiller Nicholas Parsons
Couple on Seat Cabot Square, Canary Wharf Nikesh Shukla Sanjeev Bhaskar / Meera Syal
Isaac Newton British Library Timberlake Wertenbaker Simon Russell Beale
Sherlock Holmes Baker Street station Anthony Horowitz Ed Stoppard
The Unknown Soldier Paddington station Tony Harrison Patrick Stewart
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Paddington station Rachel Wagstaff Hugh Bonneville
Ariel BBC Broadcasting House Robert Seatter Mathew Horne
Rush Hour Broadgate, City of London Clive Anderson Clive Anderson
Queen Victoria Kensington Palace Katrina Burnett Patricia Hodge
Achilles Hyde Park Corner Rachel Lenkiewicz Dominic West

Manchester

Image Statue Location Author Actor(s)
Abraham Lincoln Brazenoze Square Gary Younge Tom Conti
Reading Girl Manchester Central Library Jacqueline Wilson Jenna Coleman
Alan Turing Fairfield Street Mark Ravenhill Russell Tovey
LS Lowry Sam's Chophouse Kiran Benawara David Neilson
John Barbirolli Bridgewater Hall Michael Kennedy Timothy West
Queen Victoria Piccadilly Gardens Katrina Burnett Prunella Scales

New York

Image Statue Location Author Actor(s)
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc Riverside Drive Marc Acito Ingrid Raison
Robert Burns Central Park Wendy MacLeod Andrew Barret
Harriet Tubman Harlem Terry McMillan Patti Richards
William Shakespeare Central Park Marc Acito Michael Perrie Jr
Lincoln New-York Historical Society Pete Simpson
Frederick Douglass New York-Historical Society Terry McMillan Robert Lacy Jr
George Washington Federal Hall Wendy MacLeod Bart Shatto
Ludwig van Beethoven Central Park Wendy MacLeod Bruce Kramer
George Washington Brooklyn Wendy MacLeod Bart Shatto
Hans Christian Andersen Central Park Kim Fupz Aakeson Mads Mikkelsen
John Ericsson Battery Park Marc Acito David Dencik
Gertrude Stein Bryant Park Marc Acito Stacey Lightman
Antonín Dvořák Stuyvesant Square Park Marc Acito Jan Triska
Giovanni da Verrazzano Battery Park Joe Giordano Roberto Ragone
Abraham Lincoln Union Square Pete Simpson
Gandhi Union Square Thrity Umrigar
Peter Stuyvesant Stuyvesant Square Christine Otten Michael Wouters
George Washington Union Square Wendy MacLeod Bart Shatto
Confucius Confucius Plaza Jean Kwok Geoff Lee
Balto Central Park Wendy MacLeod Jakob Oftebro

Dublin

Image Statue Location Author Actor(s)
James Joyce Earl Street North Roddy Doyle Gabriel Byrne
James Connolly Beresford Place Brendan O'Carroll Brendan O'Carroll
James Larkin O'Connell Street Enda Walsh Stephen Rea
O'Connell Monument O'Connell Street Paula Meehan Ruth Negga
Wolfe Tone St Stephen's Green Patrick McCabe Brendan Gleeson
Oscar Wilde Merrion Square North John Banville Andrew Scott
Meeting Place Liffey Street Lower Rachel Kilfeather Brenda Fricker
George Bernard Shaw Merrion Square West Arthur Mathews Stephen Brennan
Molly Malone Suffolk Street Michaela Mcmahon Maria Doyle Kennedy
George Salmon Trinity College Dublin, College Green Joe Duffy Joe Duffy