Art in Turku Science Park
The development of Turku Science Park into an art park began in 1995, when the Stiftelsen för Åbo Akademi and the Turku University Foundation donated Carl-Gustaf Lilius’s sculpture The World Dance to the universities. The wire mesh sculpture depicting a dancing couple was hung in the lobby of BioCity, where it still floats above people today.
Since then, more works of art have been acquired for the Science Park through various projects and competitions. In EduCity, art has been integrated into the property from the very beginning: during the construction project, the KampusART art programme was implemented in collaboration between Turku University of Applied Sciences and Teknologiakiinteistöt, through which nearly a million euros worth of art was acquired for the new building.
A brief introduction to the works of art located in the Science Park has been compiled on this page. Some of the works are visible to everyone, while others are in premises used by Teknologiakiinteistöt. If you would like to take a guided tour to see the art in the Science Park, book a tour here.
Underground art in the Science Park
There are 60 works of art in the parking garages of Teknologiakiinteistöt, the majority of which originate from the Science Park parking garage revitalization project held in 2021. Now, you can find surprises around every corner in the garages, as more than 60 works of art decorate the walls. Explore the underground works of art!
”Ulpukan lehti” Vesa Aaltonen, 2015
Chromaluxe Metalprint
70×80 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Photographer Vesa Aaltonen (b. 1965, Pomarkku) strives in his photos to move away from excessive realism and seeks a magical atmosphere in his works, in which light plays the leading role. The framework for Aaltonen's work is found in the landscape and nature, which he utilizes when shooting both in the city and outside it.
”Säähavaintoja” Stig Baumgartner, 2020
Oil painting on MDF board, varnish
EduCity
Stig Baumgartner (b. 1969, Järvenpää) was selected through the KampusART art programme to create a work of art for the new EduCity campus building. Baumgartner's work, which consists of five parts, is located on the underside of the meeting cubes. The hand-painted oil work brings color and organicity to the otherwise angular spaces, creating a personal identity for the building. Watch the introductory video of the work!
”Biodiversiteetti” Jukka Hakanen, 2014
Mural
500×2500 cm
BioCity, exterior wall of the auditorium
Jukka Hakanen (b. 1984, Turku) from Turku has created several large murals across Finland. The mural gracing the outer wall of the BioCity auditorium was Hakanen's thesis for the University of Art and Design, and Hakanen chose the themes of the work based on ideas received from city residents. The work features animals, plants, and laboratory equipment typical of BioCity.
”Kupittaanpuisto” Jukka Hakanen & Osmo, 2016
Mural
960×3250 cm
Lemminkäisenkatu 9, exterior wall of the parking garage
Jukka Hakanen (b. 1984, Turku) & Osmo created a mural on the parking garage wall in honor of the 70th anniversary of Turku's youth work. The mural's themes were selected from the rich history of Kupittaa Park and feature both the St. Henry's well pavilion and the former racetrack.
”Aukeamassa” Anu Halmesmaa, 2014
Alkyd on MDF board
50x75x19 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Anu Halmesmaa (b. 1981, Turku) paints relief-like wall sculptures. The main material of the works is cut-to-shape MDF fiberboard, which she paints with glossy paint. The works explore and stretch the circular form, the repetition of which by hand reflects letting go of the control of one's own life and enables joy and delight.
”Kaikki pelissä” Anu Halmesmaa, 2014
Alkyd on MDF board
105x125x35 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Anu Halmesmaa (b. 1981, Turku) paints relief-like wall sculptures. The main material of the works is cut-to-shape MDF fiberboard, which she paints with glossy paint. The works explore and stretch the circular form, the repetition of which by hand reflects letting go of the control of one's own life and enables joy and delight.
”Minä näen sinut” Anu Halmesmaa, 2014
Alkyd on MDF board
50x66x17 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Anu Halmesmaa (b. 1981, Turku) paints relief-like wall sculptures. The main material of the works is cut-to-shape MDF fiberboard, which she paints with glossy paint. The works explore and stretch the circular form, the repetition of which by hand reflects letting go of the control of one's own life and enables joy and delight.
”Kenttä” Reino Hietanen, 2000
Lithograph
20×30 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Painter and graphic artist Reino Hietanen (1932 Äyräpää – 2014 Lahti) was a member of the 'March Group' (Maaliskuulaiset), a significant 1960s artist collective that connected the Finnish art scene to the latest international art trends. Hietanen’s graphics were an abstract play of shapes and colors, but the starting point for the works was often a concrete object or thing, such as a football field.
”Kalpa | Kallioperä | Fibroin” Shoji Kato, 2020
Silk, stone, silver, gold, aluminum
EduCity
Shoji Kato (b. 1969, Japan) was selected through the KampusART art program to create a work of art for the new EduCity campus building. Kato's work includes fabrics, stones, and precious metals that reflect light and react to air movements. Materials that feel foreign create a sense of mystery, evoke interpretations, and inspire.
”The World Dance” Carl-Gustaf Lilius, 1995
Wire mesh
BioCity
Carl-Gustaf Lilius (1928 Helsinki – 1998 Helsinki) was an essayist, visual artist, and one of the most significant dissidents during the era of Finlandization. Lilius had a great affinity for dance, which he enthusiastically depicted in his works. Lilius’s production includes numerous public sculptures in, among other places, Turku, Helsinki, and Vaasa. Lilius called his sculptures shaped from wire mesh 'three-dimensional drawings'.
”Lohikäärme” Alessio de Marchi, 2016
Electronic waste
DataCity
Alessio De Marchi (b. 1982, Turin) is an Italian artist who aims with his work to wake up consumers to see the consequences of their own consumption in today's technology-saturated world. De Marchi, who was in an artist residency at the SHIFT Business Festival, worked in the spring of 2016 at ICT-City, where Turku residents were invited to bring electronic waste for his art project. From circuit boards, cases, and electrical wires, the artist created snakes, spiders, and other creatures.
”One World to Another” Andy McCoy, 2021
Oil on canvas
120×100 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Musician Andy McCoy (b. 1962, Pelkosenniemi) draws the subjects of his works from everything he has seen and experienced. In his colorful, multidimensional paintings full of details, one can see both symbolism and famous people.
”Winter Meditation” Pirkko Mäkelä-Haapalinna, 2016
Pastel painting
45×65 cm
Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Pirkko Mäkelä-Haapalinna (b. 1960, Kemijärvi) is an artist who, in her works, searches for a common touchpoint between the inner world and the world observed by the senses. Mäkelä-Haapalinna's work is inspired by memories and empowering experiences.
MEANDERI (on bike racks) Anssi Pulkkinen & Taneli Rautiainen, 2020
Steel
EduCity, concrete deck
Anssi Pulkkinen (b. 1982, Helsinki) and Taneli Rautiainen (b. 1983, Salo) were selected through the KampusART art program to create an outdoor artwork on the concrete deck between EduCity and the Visitor Centre Joki. The piece depicts a bent bicycle rack and plays with the history of art. Through its concept derived from cycling, the work interacts with all bicycles riding past and parked nearby.
”Nimetön” Leena Saarto, 2009
Plywood, paint
125×65 cm
ICT-City
Turku-based artist Leena Saarto (b. 1956) created a 7-part artwork for ICT-City in 2009, in which figures resembling ones and zeros move along the building's interior walls. The graphic lines have been given a more human character: they exert themselves, do somersaults, and eventually take flight.
”Bomb Disneyland” Riiko Sakkinen, 2019
Acrylic, alkyd and permanent marker on canvas
170×140 cm
TriviumCity, Sky
Riiko Sakkinen (b. 1976, Helsinki) is known for his provocative and ironic art, which comments on the economic and social problems caused by capitalism. The Bomb Disneyland works criticize the anthropomorphization of animals, i.e., presenting them as human-like in fairy tales, entertainment, and in corporate and product logos.
”Simba I of Finland Cute Power” Riiko Sakkinen, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
100×115 cm
TriviumCity, Sky
Riiko Sakkinen (b. 1976, Helsinki) is known for his provocative and ironic art, which comments on the economic and social problems caused by capitalism. The Bomb Disneyland works criticize the anthropomorphization of animals, i.e., presenting them as human-like in fairy tales, entertainment, and in corporate and product logos.
”PIQUE-NIQUE” Noora Schroderus, 2020
Stainless steel, acid-proof steel, aluminium
EduCity
Sculptor Noora Schroderus (b. 1982, Pirkkala) was chosen through the KampusART art program to create an artwork for EduCity. Cast exotic fruits are combined with steel elements in the work, which is placed in three skylight recesses. The work creates an aesthetic space where one can stop to eat, drink, and spend time together.
”Mossgirl” Kim Simonsson, 2019
Ceramics, feather, nylon fiber
113x45x50 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Sculptor Kim Simonsson (b. 1974, Helsinki) creates figurative sculptures out of ceramics. The green moss figures were born by accident when the artist tried painting black ceramics with neon yellow paint. The result was a fairy-tale world combining Mad Max and Lord of the Flies, where children live on nature's terms and decide for themselves.
”Wicked Weapon” Samuli Suonperä, 2018
Spray painting on MDF board
87×57 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Drawing inspiration from pop culture and street art, Samuli Suonperä (b. 1975, Helsinki) uses mixed media in his paintings. The works illustrate the present moment and reflect Suonperä's critical attitude towards superficiality and disposability.
”Vanha Koira” Veera Tiainen, 2008
Acrylic on linen canvas
80×151 cm
ElectroCity, information desk
Visual artist Veera Tiainen (b. 1980, Espoo) describes her painting process as an intuitive and layered expedition, where one stage always leads to the next and the end result cannot be guessed in advance. The process is guided by the conscious mind, the subconscious, and chance.
”Corvus Cornix”, ”Corvus Monedula”, ”Pica Pica 1”, ”Pica Pica 2” Pirjo Tikkinen, 2016
Mixed media on hardboard
30×30 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Visual artist Pirjo Tikkinen (b. 1959, Saari) finds the starting points for her work in nature and natural light phenomena. The still atmosphere and dreamlike brushwork of the pieces create a sense of the passage of time. Tikkinen uses painting, photography, and sculpture as techniques.
”La Liberté guidant le peuple” Katja Tukiainen, 2019-2020
Oil and alkyd on canvas
200×200 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Visual artist Katja Tukiainen (b. 1969, Pori) leads viewers through her works into a world where small and cute characters have power and opinions. She uses a lot of pink shades in her paintings. The works combine cartoon-like aesthetics with the historical tradition of oil painting.
”Tietoviidakko” Jenni Tuominen & Jukka Pylväs, 2009
Illustration installation
493×702 cm
ICT-City
The Tietoviidakko (Information Jungle) work, created on the wall grid of the ICT-City lobby, is inspired by the building's users and functions. Artists Jenni Tuominen (b. 1976, Landskrona, Sweden) and Jukka Pylväs (b. 1974, Porvoo) started from the early sources of information storage and depicted people and animals like ancient cave paintings. In the images, one can spot, for example, a net surfer and an unwelcome guest, a net worm.
”Asio otus” Jussi TwoSeven, 2022
Mural
41000×3000 cm
ParkCity
Helsinki-based visual artist Jussi TwoSeven (1983) uses stencil techniques to paint realistic works depicting nature and animals. With a background in graffiti, Jussi TwoSeven is one of Finland's best-known mural artists. In addition to Finnish cities, his works have been commissioned for locations in countries such as England, Norway, and Sweden.