Art in Turku Science Park
The development of Turku Science Park into an art park began in 1995 when Stiftelsen för Åbo Akademi and the University of Turku 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 hovers above people.
Since then, more artworks 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, resulting in the acquisition of nearly one million euros worth of art for the new building.
This page features a brief introduction to the artworks located in the Science Park. Some of the works are on public display, 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
Teknologiakiinteistöt’s parking garages feature 60 artworks, the majority of which originate from the Science Park parking garage revitalization project held in 2021. Now, surprises can be found in the garages around every corner, as the walls are decorated with over 60 artworks. Discover the underground artworks!
”Ulpukan lehti” Vesa Aaltonen, 2015
Chromaluxe Metalprint
70×80 cm
BioCity, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt office
Photographer Vesa Aaltonen (b. 1965, Pomarkku) strives for a lack of excessive realism in his images, seeking a magical atmosphere in his works where light plays the leading role. The settings for Aaltonen’s work are found in landscapes and nature, which he utilizes when shooting both in the city and beyond.
”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 an artwork for the new EduCity campus building. Baumgartner’s five-part work is located on the undersides of the meeting cubes. Hand-painted with oil colors, the work brings color and organic quality to the otherwise angular spaces, creating a personal identity for the building. Watch the introduction video of the work!
”Biodiversiteetti” Jukka Hakanen, 2014
Mural
500×2500 cm
BioCity, exterior wall of the auditorium
Turku-based Jukka Hakanen (b. 1984, Turku) has created several large murals across Finland. The mural gracing the exterior wall of the BioCity auditorium was Hakanen’s thesis for the University of Art and Design Helsinki, and Hakanen chose the themes for the work based on ideas received from city residents. The work features animals, plants, and laboratory equipment characteristic 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 wall of the parking garage to commemorate the 70th anniversary of youth work in Turku. The themes of the mural are selected from the rich history of Kupittaa Park and include the St. Henry’s Well pavilion and the former trotting track.
”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 shaped MDF board, which she paints with glossy paint. The works explore and stretch the circular form, the repetition of which by freehand 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 shaped MDF board, which she paints with glossy paint. The works explore and stretch the circular form, the repetition of which by freehand 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 shaped MDF board, which she paints with glossy paint. The works explore and stretch the circular form, the repetition of which by freehand reflects letting go of the control of one's own life and enables joy and delight.
”Kenttä” Reino Hietanen, 2000
Lithography
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 group that connected the Finnish art scene to the latest international art trends. Hietanen's graphic art was an abstract play of shapes and colors, but the starting point for his works was often a concrete object or thing, such as a soccer 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 an artwork 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 unfamiliar create a sense of mystery, spark 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 of art. Lilius's body of work includes numerous public sculptures in places such as Turku, Helsinki, and Vaasa. Lilius called the sculptures he 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 consumers up to see the consequences of their own consumption in today's technology-saturated world. Having been in an artist residency at the SHIFT Business Festival, De Marchi worked in the spring of 2016 at ICT-City, where people from Turku could bring electronic waste for his art project. From circuit boards, casings, 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 themes for his works from everything he has seen and experienced. In his colorful, multidimensional, and detail-rich paintings, one can see both symbolism and well-known 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 observable by the senses. Mäkelä-Haapalinna's work is inspired by memories and empowering experiences.
MEANDERI (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 Joki Visitor Center. 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 passing by 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 interior walls of the building. 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) has become 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 company 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) has become 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 company and product logos.
”PIQUE-NIQUE” Noora Schroderus, 2020
Stainless steel, acid-proof steel, aluminum
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 the steel elements of the piece, which is located in three skylight recesses. The work creates an aesthetic space under which 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 experimented with 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 things 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 express Suonperä's critical attitude toward superficiality and consumerism.
”Vanha Koira” Veera Tiainen, 2008
Acrylic on linen
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 step always leads to the next and the final result cannot be predicted 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 static atmosphere and dreamlike brushwork of the pieces create a sense of the passage of time. Tikkinen uses painting, photography, and sculpture as her 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 of her works into a world where small and cute characters have power and opinions. She uses many shades of pink 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 Information Jungle (Tietoviidakko) artwork, created for the wall grid in the lobby of ICT-City, 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 origins of data storage and depicted people and animals in the manner of 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 a stencil technique 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 in countries including England, Norway, and Sweden.