Urbane renewal: Returning a beloved Helsinki landmark to its original form

Arts & cultureVisual arts

In autumn 1908, tempers flared in Helsinki as an artistic controversy – you might even call it a scandal – arose about a new fountain designed by Ville Vallgren (1855–1940).

His elaborate, five-metre-high sculptural fountain featured a Junoesque female nude, surrounded by water-spouting sea lions and fish and a wide circular pool.

The Finnish sculptor had built a bustling career in Paris, where he won a Grand Prix at the 1900 World Exposition. However, he was now being accused of foisting indecent foreign art onto the Finnish public.

Focal point for festivities

A circle of people, hanging in harnesses attached to ropes, surrounds the top of a statue of a woman, while a crowd watches from the ground.

Hooray! Every April 30, students in harnesses suspended from a crane crown Havis Amanda with a graduation cap, marking the start of May Day celebrations.Photo: Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva

Vallgren said that the statue represented a maiden who drowned at sea, arose from it as a mermaid, and was taking her last glance back at the sea. He suggested the Swedish-Latin hybrid name Havis Amanda, meaning “the sea’s beloved.”

“The statue is a symbol of the city,” says Helsinki City Museum architect Mikko Lindqvist. “Helsinki rises from the sea, just as Havis Amanda emerges from the waves in the fountain.”

Early on, a tradition developed of students ceremonially placing a graduation cap on Havis Amanda’s head to kick off festivities for May Day (known as Vappu in Finnish).* In recent decades, the site has been a focal point of post-game celebrations whenever Finland wins a big sporting event such as the ice hockey world championship.

[Editor’s note: Finland’s national emojis, originally introduced by ThisisFINLAND, depict such celebrations with “Torilla tavataan” (See you on the square), complete with Havis Amanda and flag-waving fans.]

Swift reactions

A woman with a brush in her hands stands in a workshop in front of a metal statue of a female figure.

Polina Semenova of the Helsinki City Museum is the main conservator in the project to clean and restore Havis Amanda.Photo: Kirsi-Marja Savola

Vallgren cast the bronze sculpture in 1906 in Paris, where it received acclaim at the Salon exhibition before being shipped to Helsinki. There it took pride of place on the harbourside Market Square.

Reactions – pro and con – were swift. Those who defended the monument compared it to Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, which also depicts a female figure just emerged from the sea.

Proto-feminist Lucina Hagman, who had become one the world’s first women MPs in 1907, demanded that the statue be removed, calling it “filthy and lewd.”

Some people complained that it was un-Finnish, pointing to the sea lions and fish as alien species. The female figure was modelled on two Parisiennes.

Just for fun

On a plaza with buildings in the background, several dozen children and teachers are gathered around a metal statue on a tall pedestal.

Children on an outing stop to learn about Havis Amanda.Photo: Martti Kainulainen/Lehtikuva

Eventually nicknamed Manta, this was the first public art of its kind in pre-independence Finland, which was an autonomous grand duchy in the Russian empire prior to 1917.

As the fountain’s main conservator, Polina Semenova of the Helsinki City Museum, puts it, “This was the first statue that was just for fun. That was kind of questionable for some people – like, why are we wasting money on this?”

Lindqvist says, “The work was seen as provocative in 1908, but soon began to be appreciated and adopted by the public. Students gathered to celebrate May Day around Manta, a tradition that’s still ongoing. Fans of ice hockey and other sports also often celebrate international titles around Havis Amanda in carnival style.”

Over the years, sports fans climbing on the statue caused harm to its structure – that’s one reason the artwork is undergoing conservation.

Cleaner air

A woman kneels to look at the base of a statue in a workshop in front of a metal statue of a female figure.

Polina Semenova and other conservators have had a chance to discover details and nuances around the base of the statue that are normally difficult to see.Photo: Kirsi-Marja Savola

In May 2023, Semenova oversaw the transport of the fountain to a secret location near Helsinki for restoration, including laser cleaning and waxing to protect and restore its dark, uniform colour.

“In the 1970s and ’80s, the patina turned blue and green due to the increased traffic and air pollution,” says Semenova. “Fortunately, the city air has gotten cleaner since then.”

Conserve and protect

A close-up of gloved hands using a brush to clean the leaf-like patterns around one piece of the base of a metal sculpture.

The painstaking conservation process keeps Havis Amanda in the shop and away from her usual position on Market Square for more than a year.Photo: Kirsi-Marja Savola

Conservators did not discover any major damage during the restoration process, though they did find scratches and small cracks, as well as a crudely drilled hole near Amanda’s feet, apparently for a long-forgotten lighting project.

“Part of the base, which we call the ‘cake,’ was stretched a bit due to crowds jumping on it, so we welded together some seams to support it,” says Semenova.

“But hopefully people won’t jump on it anymore. It’s going to have a protective wooden sheath around it now whenever there’s a big sports celebration.” What about Vappu? “May Day hasn’t been a problem lately, because it’s well organised and they use a crane to place the traditional student cap on her head.”

More spectacular

An illustration shows the silhouette of a statue and a group of people cheering and waving flags.

Havis Amanda is in one of Finland’s national emojis, “Torilla tavataan,” meaning “See you on the square!” Fans congregate around the statue whenever Finland wins a big sporting event.Emoji illustration: ThisisFINLAND

The fountain reopens in August 2024, possibly with slightly modified nozzles that may spray more water around the fountain.

“If you look at old pictures, the spraying was more spectacular, so that’s what we’re hoping to get back to,” says Semenova.

Conservators found a 1987 class ring wedged into the base, as well as coins from around the world, tossed into the fountain for luck.

Something in her eyes

In a workshop setting, a metal statue of a female figure seems to look at the camera.

Having observed Havis Amanda at great length, Polina Semenova says, “I interpret her as a very gentle, soft person.”Photo: Kirsi-Marja Savola

“The cleaning revealed a lot of beautiful nuances, like animals on the base that I’d never noticed before, some kind of squid or octopus,” she says. “We also noticed that two of the fish are obviously meant to be male, and the other two female. These are hidden parts that you can’t normally see, so maybe it was kind of an inside joke.”

Over the winter in the warehouse, Semenova has likely spent more time alone with Manta than anyone since Vallgren. What kind of personality does she sense in this much-debated celebrity?

“I interpret her as a very gentle, soft person,” she says. “It’s something in her eyes, which you can’t usually see so close-up.”

By Wif Stenger, April 2024

*With Havis Amanda still in the workshop, the traditional start to Helsinki’s May Day celebrations takes place in 2024 on Citizens’ Square, between the Music Centre and Oodi, the central library. We heard a rumour that someone at the workshop might place a graduation cap on the statue’s head, just to make sure she feels at home.

Concrete change for the better: “Green cement” is bubbling in Finland

Business & innovationSustainability

Concrete plays a big role in planet-warming emissions. It’s the world’s most common synthetic material and most-consumed resource besides water.

Along with other environmental and health impacts, concrete generates as much as 8 percent of all CO2 emissions, mostly from its key ingredient, cement. Indeed, if the cement sector were a country, it would be the world’s third-biggest CO2 emitter.

An array of Finnish firms and researchers are working to turn concrete from a climate problem into a solution for carbon storage.

The market for such carbon-negative “green concrete” is set to grow rapidly, as it could be a crucial building block for lowering emissions. The Global Cement and Concrete Association, which includes the world’s biggest companies in the sector, has committed its members to being net zero by 2050, and laid out a detailed roadmap to do so.

Some of the technologies to reach that end are now being cooked up in Finnish labs in hopes of grabbing part of the market.

Active R&D

A smiling man in a grey pullover stands in front of a black wall.

“A lot of companies are taking this seriously and developing it forward,” says University of Oulu associate professor Juho Yliniemi about lower-carbon cement and related materials.Photo: University of Oulu

“There’s quite active R&D going on in green concrete and cement in Finland,” says Juho Yliniemi, associate professor of fibre and particle engineering at the University of Oulu. Besides his own institution, he points to work at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology and Aalto University and about ten companies.

These include Carbonaide, which uses the concrete curing process to lock in carbon, in a process developed at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

“With our approach, we’re able to mineralise significant amounts of carbon dioxide into concrete as permanent storage in a very simple and cost-effective setup,” says Niina Haapasalo, Carbonaide’s chief technology officer. “Through the curing process, we can maximise the mineralised CO2 and minimise the amount of cement needed.”

She explains, “The two important targets have been a low threshold for industrial usability, and CO2 mineralisation amounts that are climate-significant. We found that concrete curing was just a perfect place, production-wise, to implement our process easily and impactfully at existing concrete plants.”

Construction materials as a carbon sink

A man in a hardhat and a brightly coloured jacket looks at an assemblage of pipes, tanks and valves in an industrial facility.

Carbonaide CEO Tapio Vehmas checks equipment at a plant in Hollola, southern Finland.Photo: Vesa Kippola/VTT

The company’s first carbonated products are slated for a spring 2024 launch by a partner, with delivery of full units beginning later in the year.

“Our goal is to create a more sustainable future with cutting-edge tech that doesn’t just reduce the carbon emissions of construction materials like concrete, but traps more CO2 than they emit throughout their lifetime,” says Carbonaide CEO Tapio Vehmas. “It’s very natural that the constructed environment becomes a CO2 sink, as it’s the largest volume of man-made material.”

The amount of carbon that the product sequesters can readily be verified through lab tests, generating data that partner companies can use in calculating their own climate footprints.

“The amount of carbonised CO2 is based on our process calculations, which are validated by lab measurements by a third party,” says Haapasalo. “On the commercial scale, all the mineralised CO2 is analysed in two ways, so it’s absolutely transparent.”

Helsinki demands low-carbon concrete

Rows of rectangular bricks move along a factory line.

It appears that product innovation and commercial demand have arrived in the same place at the same time.Photo: VTT

Verified data is essential for commercial adoption. For instance, in 2023, Helsinki began requiring that low-carbon concrete be used in all city-commissioned infrastructure projects, with a standard defined by the Concrete Association of Finland that will become stricter each year.

“Some big concrete companies are creating low-CO2 cement by mixing blast-furnace slag with their cement as their main supplementary cementitious material,” says Yliniemi.

Finland’s biggest concrete manufacturer, Parma, offers green concrete that promises to lower CO2 emissions by 40 percent, while its main rival, Rudus, claims that its version can cut emissions by as much as 60 percent compared to standard concrete.

Another big firm, Suutarinen, announced plans in early 2024 to build the country’s biggest concrete element factory in Mikkeli, with products made using the firm’s own low-carbon material.

Meanwhile, several smaller firms are using mineral sidestreams – typically waste materials – to craft cement-like binding agents known as geopolymers that have a smaller carbon footprint and can even perform better.

These firms include Betolar, founded in 2016, with former Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo serving as its advisor, and EcoUp, which upcycles waste mineral wool into a binder for geopolymer concrete. Another is Keko Geopolymeerit, which Yliniemi cofounded in 2020, focusing on alkali-activated materials.

“There seems to be a high push and pull in the construction industry,” says Yliniemi. “A lot of companies are taking this seriously and developing it forward, so it’s going to happen. It’s quite a conservative industry, though, so things always take more time than expected. But I’m optimistic at the moment.”

By Wif Stenger, April 2024

Inspiration and influences: 12 artists in Finland talk about life and creativity

Arts & cultureVisual arts

Nature attracts and influences many artists in Finland. They seek out meditative moments of calm in the forest or choose studios located near nature areas. They often use or depict natural materials in their artworks: wood, clay, leaves, flower petals, or in one case even the wings of dead birds.

The artists in this article recount how their work reflects their thinking about biodiversity, ecosystems, land use and the relationship between humans and nature. They also examine modern society, human beings and questions of identity and community.

In studio visits and interviews all around Finland, 12 different artists tell us where their art originates, how they create it, and what they hope it will achieve.

Anni Hanén, visual artist

In an art studio with prints hanging on the wall, a woman rests one arm on the crank wheel of an old-fashioned printing press.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Visual artist Anni Hanén (born in 1981), often finds herself jotting down notes for hours on end while sitting under a tree or at the end of a pier, losing track of time. She is at her happiest when she’s out on the open sea, enveloped by solitude.

Her profound connection with nature stems from a happy, free childhood.

“I practically grew up in the forest,” she says. “I didn’t have a playground or a lot of friends or toys, but I knew every single tree, rock and stump in my forest. I was like a little forester by the time I ventured to school as a first-grader. My mother was concerned about my adjustment to real life.”

A small black-and-white print showing a flower is inset in a larger, colour print of a cluster of yellow flowers.

Small, by Anni Hanén.Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Hanén delves into childhood memories in several of her artworks. Her latest creations draw inspiration from a recently purchased plot of land where the original vegetation had succumbed to invasive species.

“I was influenced by the act of removing those invasive species and the changes it brought to my life,” she says. “It has been a cleansing and healing process. Now the rejuvenated plot flourishes with native plants, as well as those introduced by its former inhabitants.”

Hanén places great importance on her choice of materials. For instance, her cyanotypes, crafted using a 19th-century method, are printed on bedsheets that have been in her family since the early 20th century. Hanén enjoys the physicality of the process.

“When I immerse myself in the creative process and the world around me fades away, I truly feel like I am making progress,” she says.

Camilla Vuorenmaa, visual artist

A woman in work clothes sits on the floor of an art studio in front of several large paintings that are leaning against the wall.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Visual artist Camilla Vuorenmaa (born in 1979) seeks to capture the uniqueness and peculiarity of human beings in her work.

“The way humans impact their environment and the people around them is captivating,” she says. “Every individual is significant, and every person has a profound influence on their community. I’m intrigued by how interconnected we all are, how we function in a group, and how we act in order to fit in and avoid rejection.”

A small black-and-white print showing a flower is inset in a larger, colour print of a cluster of yellow flowers.

Dark side Leia, by Camilla Vuorenmaa© Kuvasto/2024; Photo: Jussi Tiainen

Vuorenmaa has delved into these subjects by exploring, for instance, the cultures of fishermen and athletes. She employs different materials and techniques in her work: painting, woodcarving and multimedia. She usually begins her journey by photographing her subjects.

“I select materials that suit the intended purpose and the emotion I wish to express in my art,” Vuorenmaa says. “There’s a strong physical aspect to wood and it has a pleasant scent. But it is also quite coarse.”

In contrast, canvas brings a softness that can complement certain pieces of art. Temporary, site-specific artworks play an important role, too. A piece with a shorter lifespan means less pressure for the artist.

Kihwa-Endale, painter and spoken-word poet

A person with very short hair is sitting on the floor in an art studio with paintings on the wall.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Kihwa-Endale (born in 1992) is a painter and a spoken-word poet. Her practice revolves around reflection and bridging different realities, which is why she commonly paints on mirrors.

“Whoever looks at the painting immediately becomes a part of that story as well, even if it is temporary, as they move past it,” she says. “I wanted to use mirrors because it implies that everyone’s stories are connected, regardless of their backgrounds.”

Helsinki-based Kihwa-Endale’s background is partly Korean and partly Ethiopian, and she has lived in different parts of the world. She recognises art and artistic venues as significant influencers for creativity, activism and community building.

A painting shows two people’s heads and shoulders, with the heads resting on each other, on a bright blue background.

The Bell Rings and We Are Someone’s Daughters Again (acrylic on mirror), by Kihwa-EndalePhoto: Minna Kurjenluoma

“When I decided to study art, I didn’t see myself reflected in the art that was taught in our school or the art spaces we would visit,” she says. “Sometimes this made it difficult to recognise that I am an artist, too.

“There’s so much potential for art spaces and artists to encourage more people to engage with their own creativity. I feel it is important to decentralise myself from my art, so that I can stay open to cocreating with others and with the environment around me.”

As an extension of her work as an artist, Kihwa-Endale started a community project called Kairos, which re-imagines art spaces and practises. It primarily organises a range of cultural events, from poetry circles to art exhibitions, in Helsinki, where different narratives can meet and explore artistic expressions.

Matti Aikio, visual artist

A man is standing in a forest in clothing that show that the weather is chilly.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Sámi artist Matti Aikio (born in 1980) is also a reindeer herder. Reindeer herding is an important part of the Sámi culture, as are hunting and fishing.

The Sámi are the only recognised Indigenous people in the EU area. Their northern homeland, called Sápmi, is divided into four parts by the borders of the nation-states Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. In Finland, there are about 10,000 Sámi. They form a linguistic and cultural minority group.

In his art, Aikio explores the unique connection of the Sámi people with nature, a relationship that he believes contrasts with the perspectives of mainstream modern society. To Aikio, these differences in views are at the root of many conflicts.

“For Sámi culture to survive, it needs a connection to the land where it can be practised traditionally,” he says. “With fewer and fewer opportunities, we’re running out of places to go.”

Two black-and-white pictures are superimposed upon each other: One shows grazing reindeer, and the other shows a wind turbine.

Still photo from Oikos, a video by Matti AikioPhoto: Matti Aikio

Aikio comes from a lineage of strong Sámi advocacy; his father and grandfather have both fought for Sámi rights. Aikio’s art does not strive for activism or the mystification of Sámi culture – he aims to highlight Sámi issues by artistic means.

In his works, he combines moving images, sound, text and photographs. The lengthy work processes require a lot of research and gathering of material.

“My goal is to create art that gives the viewer the freedom to interpret it, but ideally it also offers the opportunity to change their perspective,” Aikio explains.

For example, the use of natural resources and construction projects related to fossil-free energy are processes that Aikio, like his fellow Sámi, regards as part of a long continuum.

“Our lands are seen as untouched, as no-man’s lands that can be continuously exploited,” he says. “The Sámi oppose the way projects are implemented.”

Paula Humberg, photographer and bio-artist

A woman is standing in a forest holding a small net on a long handle.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Photographer and bio-artist Paula Humberg (born in 1983) draws inspiration from the world of science and environmental conservation. Reading scientific publications plays a part in her creative process.

“Through art as a medium, I can immerse myself freely in biological research topics that I find fascinating,” she says.

She employs a variety of techniques in her art. For instance, microscopes are essential when portraying organisms invisible to the naked eye. While in Peru, Humberg used time-lapse videography to document moths, both in a nature reserve and near a residential area.

“Based on the images I collected, there are visible differences in the moth species in the two environments,” she says. “Those differences have also been found in studies.”

On a dark blue background, there are orange and light-blue splotches.

Dispersal: Slot A1 at 72h, by Paula Humberg© Kuvasto/2024; Photo: Paula Humberg

Humberg expresses particular concern about deforestation. Observations of specific species can offer insights into the ecosystem’s biodiversity.

While in Greenland, Humberg embarked on a collaborative project about pollinators with Finnish biologist Riikka Kaartinen. The number of muscid flies in the region has decreased greatly over the years.

They approached the topic by using a fluorescent pigment that comes alive under ultraviolet light, visually capturing the pollination. The experiment led to beautiful pieces of art with glimpses of mountain avens (a low-growing flowering plant) that seemed to be shining in the otherwise dark tundra.

“I felt a sense of accomplishment in Greenland, realising I had managed to bring together the worlds of biology and art,” says Humberg.

Paavo Halonen, contemporary artist and freelance print designer

A man in a leather jacket sits on a stool in a cluttered art studio that includes a taxidermically stuffed goose.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Paavo Halonen (born in 1974) is a multifaceted contemporary artist and freelance print designer. In addition to his artistic pursuits, Halonen has left his creative mark by designing prints for Finnish textile and clothing brand Marimekko and creating sets for a popular baking competition show on TV.

“I’m deeply intrigued by various visual media and their potential to influence people,” he says.

In his contemporary art, Halonen relies on reused or discarded materials. He doesn’t want to produce more unnecessary items in the world.

“Used materials tell their own stories,” he says. “Coming from the countryside, I want to shed light on forgotten aspects of our fading folk heritage. I have used discarded utility items and I combined them with elements from nature.”

A pedestal holds a sculpture of a person with several colourful birds flying near its head or possibly out of its head.

Don’t you ever, by Paavo HalonenPhoto: Minna Kurjenluoma

With global crises, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, his thinking has evolved further.

“I recognised that just praising nature is not enough,” says Halonen. “I sought the roots of our societal issues and other disasters, which led me to emphasise human responsibility for the wellbeing of nature and ourselves.”

Halonen draws inspiration and lessons from his travels and the people he works with. The numerous work projects bring balance to the otherwise rather solitary life of an artist.

“Drawing from my Lutheran roots and inspired by time I spent in Italy, I decided to bring religious symbols and saints into my work,” says Halonen. “For me, they represented humans in their clearest form.”

Enni Kalilainen, sculptor

A person stands in an art studio or exhibition space with several sculptures on pedestals, a couple skateboards, and large windows overlooking a yard with a skateboard ramp.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

The sculptures of Enni Kalilainen (born in 1976) resonate with depth and expression. She is captivated by clay as a material.

”It has its own semiotics and historical references that even lead us to the Bible and Genesis, in which God moulded the human from the dust of the earth,” she says. “I have even used it when naming some of my pieces, such as Shaped by the dust under our feet.”

Kalilainen’s sculptures, often portraying trans figures, might be different from what many consider ordinary. Yet her works seem to remind the spectator that these forms are just as valid. The need for recognition and acceptance is universal.

“It is great if my art can empower the queer community or transmit a message that parents can ideally pass on to their children,” she says.

A sculpture shows two human-like figures on the back of a horse-like animal.

It’s dust of the earth. It’s the silence of clay and smoke surrounding me., by Enni Kalilainen© Kuvasto/2024; Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

While growing up, Kalilainen often found herself alone. As a trans child with a passion for art, she didn’t quite fit the mould of a small-town, working-class upbringing.

“Navigating through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood was challenging,” she says. “Sadly, the situation for trans children remains bleak today.”

For Kalilainen, art has been a liberating force, allowing her to discover her path and express her identity. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she wears many hats: educator, advocate and even world-class skateboarder who has competed at the World Cup level.

“My life has been filled with nuances,” Kalilainen says. “I have managed to find fulfilment, even though the path hasn’t been easy.

“People are multifaceted. I often sense that others try to box me in with specific labels or perceptions, which is truly a pity.”

Veera Kulju, sculptor

A woman in red clothes and pink crocs sits on a wooden box.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Sculptor Veera Kulju (born in 1975) finds solace and serenity in nature. There, she feels a deep connection to the world around her, a sense of belonging to a larger, coherent entity.

“Even though nature is never flawless, it’s perfect and understandable in its own way,” she says. “It makes you appreciate the delicacies and vulnerabilities within yourself.”

Kulju’s ceramic pieces depict detailed creatures of the plant world, with petals and needles. The artist sees herself as creating primeval forests out of clay. For her, preserving the forests in their natural state is crucial.

“The ecosystem and nature’s ability to seek balance is a miracle,” she says. “We should understand and respect it, and aim to be in harmony with it.”

A black sculpture in the form of a tower with a three-pronged base.

The King of Gresa, by Veera KuljuPhoto: Chikako Harada

Kulju’s art always stems from her emotional state of mind. Her late mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease had an influence on her work, which ponders themes of relinquishment and the essence of being.

“I aim to be very present in my works and in strong physical contact with them,” she says.

Her upcoming works include ornamental mirrors that are inspired by fairy tales, fantasy and magic. In today’s world, we need hope and playfulness in our lives.

“My mirrors are a path to consciousness and to my relationship with nature, but they can also be paths to our imaginary worlds,” says Kulju.

Anni Rapinoja, visual artist

A woman stands in front of a wall where dozens of pairs of bird wings are hanging.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Anni Rapinoja (born in 1949) creates her pieces on the tranquil northern island of Hailuoto, where her family has thrived for 400 years.

“I want to awaken people to the ever-changing splendour of nature, and to human beings as a part of that,” she says.

With an education in natural science and geography, Rapinoja finds her inspiration in nature.

“Nature is my coworker, and it has taught me patience,” she says.

Dozens of pairs of bird wings are arranged on a white background.

Children of Icarus, by Anni Rapinoja© Kuvasto/2024; Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

“For me, working means walking, researching, collecting, drying, pressing, searching for forms, discovering, and creating. Making a piece of art can take years, and it can change and continue to evolve.”

One of her most famous collections is The Wardrobe of Nature, showcasing enchanting shoes, bags and coats made of lingonberry leaves, cottongrass, reeds and catkins. These “down-to-earth” clothes and accessories have brought the wilderness close to viewers all over the world.

“The mould of the shoe is sculpted from rice paper and rye porridge, later coated, then lined with bright green lingonberry leaves,” says Rapinoja. “Over the years, the colours gradually change, transitioning through shades of grey-green to beautiful browns, dark browns and almost black. I aim to feature an array of these transforming shoes in all my exhibitions.”

Rapinoja’s message is clear: Nature is diverse and perpetually changing. Humans are part of nature. What we do to nature, we also do to ourselves.

Erno Enkenberg, visual artist

A man is sitting in an art studio with brushes, tools and paintings hanging on the wall.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Erno Enkenberg’s (born in 1975) artworks are like scenes from movies or video games, feeling both a sense of familiarity and otherworldly. Through their theatrical illumination, the pieces masterfully blend reality with imagination.

“My pieces try to interpret humanity through the means of art – who we are and what our search for identity is made of,” he says.

Previously, Enkenberg started his creative process by creating self-made, illuminated paper models based on his ideas. He would then photograph these models and use the images as sketches for his paintings.

A painting shows a woman in front of a wall, with a dog leash in her hand – there is no dog, but the leash seems to be attached to the neck of a human shadow on the wall.

Leash, by Erno Enkenberg© Kuvasto/2024; Photo: Erno Enkenberg

“The images in my mind are spatial rather than flat,” he says. “Creating a 3D model that represents my vision is a natural extension of my inner world.”

Today, Enkenberg has transitioned from paper to making digital 3D models, which allows him to play with images and light more freely.

“Working in a digital environment is liberating,” he says. “I am no longer bound by the constraints of physical models.”

Inspiration often strikes Enkenberg on his sofa, while he is reading books or watching movies or TV shows. His most recent pieces highlight the individual as the agent of their own life.

The artworks “reflect life on social media,” he says. “We are constantly presenting ourselves for the perceptions of others. We all have our stage and our audience. We are all performers in the theatre of our own lives.”

Nayab Ikram, visual artist

A portrait of a woman in front of a forest background.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

Nayab Ikram (born in 1992) is a photographer and visual artist from the Åland Islands, a picturesque, autonomous Swedish-speaking archipelago that is part of Finland.

She taps into a rich cultural blend of her Finnish surroundings and her Pakistani heritage. Her art toggles between the playful and the profound, with a keen focus on cultural identity. Her creations stem from her personal observations and experience of navigating two worlds.

“I think that most people who have a similar background to mine might recognise the feeling of in-betweenness, the navigation between cultures, emotions and surroundings,” she says.

Photography became Ikram’s voice at an early age. It was an expressive outlet for emotions that words could not capture. Today, her work delves deep into cultural symbols and rituals, discovering surprising similarities between the cultures of Finland and Pakistan.

On a coast among tidepools, a woman is standing and pouring water over the hair of a kneeling woman, while two other people stand in the background.

Still photo from The Family, a video by Nayab IkramPhoto: Nayab Ikram

“When you look at history and symbolism, you can see that the same kinds of rituals happened in parallel in different cultures and countries,” she says. “I find that very interesting, considering that today’s society and media want us to think that these cultures are vastly separate.”

Her playful side is vividly displayed in Symbiosis (2022), which is on permanent display at a primary school in Helsinki. The piece, which features photographs of hands playing with colourful modelling clay, embodies freedom and creativity.

“As a material, clay doesn’t have any rules,” says Ikram. “The children can create their own future and their own rules as they go, because they are our future.”

H.C. Berg, artist and sculptor

A man holds up flat, ring-shaped plastic forms while standing in front of a wall that displays an artwork formed by a pattern of concentric circles.

Photo: Minna Kurjenluoma

The award-winning artist H.C. Berg (born in 1971) embraces life and its opportunities with enthusiasm. He believes that a positive attitude leads the way to successful creative work.

In shaping his masterpieces, Berg employs new technology and a diverse palette of materials, including steel, acrylic, glass, ceramics, and plastic components.

“In the modern world, the traditional perspective on art can sometimes feel more like a cage than a possibility,” he says. “To truly find oneself in this new age, it’s essential to challenge the thinking of the past.

“The digital world certainly adds excitement to your work; you always discover something new. There’s a feeling that nothing is ever truly finished.”

Under a roof made of glass and metal, people sit at the base of a sculpture that is about four times as tall as they are, depicting a head looking upwards with an open mouth.

Nereidi, by H.C. BergPhoto: H.C. Berg

Berg’s colourful works play with observation and reality: a piece may appear entirely different from one angle to another.

“Our perceptions of our human identity can sometimes be too rigid,” he says. “The realities are very personal. How we see and experience things and describe our observations depends on our own experiences in life.”

Berg lives and works in the tranquil countryside of Inkoo, a stone’s throw from the bustling heart of the capital, Helsinki. He cherishes the light and silence of his surroundings.

“Such contrasts are the wonderful aspects of Finnishness,” he says. “A short car or train ride can transport us to a completely different dimension from city life. Every Finn possesses a global spirit, comfortably navigating urban settings. Yet, we all have an almost shamanistic Finnish soul, one that resonates with nature – foraging for mushrooms, picking berries and fishing.”

By Helena Liikanen-Renger, March 2024

Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen to receive 2024 Polar Music Prize

Arts & cultureWebpick

Esa-Pekka Salonen is one of Finland’s most established conductors and composers. His dedication to redefining classical music in the 21st century has included working with top orchestras, opera houses and festivals worldwide.

He has previously conducted orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and is currently music director of the San Francisco Symphony.

The Polar Music Prize, founded by ABBA manager Stig Anderson in 1989 and considered one of the most prestigious awards in music, is bestowed annually upon one contemporary musician and one classical musician. Alongside Esa-Pekka Salonen, the 2024 award goes to songwriter, composer, producer and guitarist Nile Rodgers. His career has included producing David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and co-writing Avicii’s “Lay Me Down.”

Salonen’s upcoming schedule also includes conducting the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra in spring 2024.

For seventh year running, Finland is first in World Happiness Report – other Nordics in top 7

Life & societyFinnishness

The International Day of Happiness takes place annually on March 20, accompanied by the World Happiness Report, a publication of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. In 2024, Finland occupies the top spot on the report’s list of the happiest countries in the world for the seventh time in a row.

The other Nordic countries usually join Finland in the top ten – this year, they are all in the top seven: Denmark is second, Iceland third, Sweden fourth and Norway seventh.

Life evaluations

In a sunny plaza, kids and adults are sitting and climbing on tile-covered hills, some of which have windows in them.

Enjoying life: These strange mounds and windows are part of Amos Rex, a museum of contemporary art in Helsinki and a great place to hang out.Photo: Aleksi Poutanen/Helsinki Partners

The 158-page World Happiness Report and the International Day of Happiness offer a chance to discuss the foundations of happiness and how to nurture it. In more ways than one, this may also provide a counterweight to unhappy news about climate change and war.

The report compares the answers to one of the more than 100 questions in the Gallup World Poll. The question is: On a scale of zero to ten, where do you place your own life (with zero being the worst possible life and ten being the best possible life)?

The answers, called “life evaluations” by the authors of the report, provide a measurement of people’s contentedness with life. The report uses an average of the three most recent years to arrive at its list of the happiest countries.

This year’s edition further divides the happiness listings into four age groups for comparison. In Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, the oldest age group (60-plus) was happier than the others, and the youngest (under 30) was the least happy.

The authors also try to identify general “predictors” of happiness, including GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy at birth, social support (having people you can count on if you’re in trouble), freedom to make life choices, generosity (whether or not people donate to charity) and perception of corruption (in government and business).

Infrastructure of happiness

Several people are sitting in chairs and reading books in front of an enormous window where several city buildings are visible.

A window lets the light in for readers at Helsinki University’s main library. All levels of education in Finland are free or charge only very nominal fees.Photo: Linda Tammisto/Helsinki Partners

Finland and the other Nordic countries are strong in those predictor categories and in other aspects of society that contribute to happiness. (Many of them are included in the box about international comparisons, at the end of this article.) Finland has fostered an infrastructure of happiness, constructing and maintaining the culture and the social institutions that form the basis and framework for individuals and communities to build their happiness.

Happiness doesn’t just – happen. Countries can take steps to encourage it. Research shows life satisfaction correlates with a well-functioning society that provides healthcare, social security and labour market access.

If we zoom out for a wider perspective, we can see that happiness should be a policy goal. Finland has a multiparty system with room for numerous different platforms, but you can still say that happiness is one of the overall policy goals.

On a more individual level, even readers who are not government policy makers can go to the Find Your Inner Finn website, run by ThisisFINLAND’s friends over at Visit Finland. It offers a five-part masterclass in the “Finnish happy lifestyle,” complete with video lessons, tasks for further study and a Master of Happiness certificate.

A related campaign, Helsinki Happiness Hacks (until April 4, 2024), invites readers to participate and apply for a chance to visit Helsinki and “master your happiness like a Helsinkian,” in June 2024.

Happiness starts early

Two small children are throwing snow into the air and laughing in front of several trees.

Kids play in a snowy park in the central western Finnish city of Tampere.Photo: Laura Vanzo/Visit Tampere

Democracy and good governance, which play pivotal roles in the infrastructure of happiness, are grounded on transparency; accountability; impartiality; rule of law; full protection of human rights, including those of minorities; absence of political violence; and lack of corruption.

Free and fair elections are covered by independent media outlets for a population that possesses a great deal of media literacy.

Finnish society is built on trust, and trust is based on openness – freedom of communication and information, as well as opportunities for citizens and civil society to get involved in improving society. High levels of trust and freedom contribute to Finnish happiness.

By the same token, fairness and equality are important elements of happiness, and of Finnish society. Equality means not only gender equality, but also an equal start to life, made feasible by free prenatal care for mothers and generous paid parental leave. It also means equal access throughout life to education and healthcare, both of which are free or charge only very nominal fees.

The nature of happiness

A woman and a man cycle through a park past trees and meadows on a sunny day.

Even in Helsinki, you’re never far from a park or a patch of forest.Photo: Susanna Lehto/Visit Finland

Last but not least, nature is always nearby in Finland. Even in urban areas, you’re never more than a ten-minute walk from a park or forest. Unspoiled nature has been shown to contribute to wellbeing and happiness.

Back in 2012, the first World Happiness Report linked nature to happiness. It defined “sustainable development” as a combination of environmental sustainability, social inclusion and human wellbeing. The authors then wrote, “The quest for happiness is intimately linked to the quest for sustainable development.”

The subsequent editions of the report have researched happiness from all sorts of angles, but the gist has remained the same. And if you’re seeking a recipe for happiness, that definition of sustainable development is still a good place to start.

Finland’s place in the world

Finland’s repeated success in the World Happiness Report stems from factors that also show up in other reports, indexes and international comparisons. At the time of writing, according to various organisations and surveys, Finland is:

By ThisisFINLAND staff, March 2024

Finland’s first circus professor unites many art forms under a big tent

Arts & cultureCircus

Brazilian-born Luis Sartori do Vale has earned Finland’s first artist professor grant in circus art with his freewheeling, cross-genre mix of juggling, new magic, physical theatre and video art.

He continues to conjure up creative ideas and perform them with a wide-ranging cast of friends and collaborators.

A mix of art forms

A stage is divided into two halves by a wall, with a man watering flowers in a room on one side and two men developing photos in a darkroom on the other side.

The company Portmanteau, cofounded by Luis Sartori do Vale, makes use of photography in more ways than one in its performance Pimiö (“Darkroom” in Finnish).Photo: André Baumecker

A hand drops a needle on a scratchy phonograph. Others place a picture frame around an upside-down, projected image of a flower pot. Hands water the flowers with a watering can, while other hands pour water from a pitcher into a darkroom developing tray.

While one man sits in a room with the plant, two others work in a darkroom, with images being composed, photographed, developed and shown before a live audience. This surreal 2023 performance, entitled Pimiö (Darkroom) is one of the latest works by do Vale’s Portmanteau company, founded in 2018.

While people with childhood memories of an old-fashioned circus under a big top might not recognise this as such, “contemporary circus is a mix of different art forms,” says do Vale. He adds, “The fact that it’s such a fluid genre is what attracts me and gives me freedom to work.”

Playful style

The world is in motion in this trailer for Pendulum, a 2020 performance by Luis Sartori do Vale and Thom Monckton.Video: Kallo Collective

Do Vale, who also illustrates children’s books, says, “By abandoning certain rules of traditional circus – which usually works with animals, focuses on technical virtuosity and performs in circular rings and tents – contemporary circus aims to create performances that open a dialogue with other arts, borrowing elements from theatre, dance, music, video, visual arts and architecture.”

His playful, cross-genre style earned him Finland’s first-ever five-year artist professorship for circus art, conferred by the state-funded Arts Promotion Centre Finland, starting in 2024. An artist professorship is accompanied by a grant lasting five or ten years.

Growing Finnish circus arts

Several superimposed photos show people sitting or standing on a stage and throwing piles of paper into the air.

Papers fly in Perto (“Near” in Portuguese), a production that Luis Sartori do Vale cocreated and directed.Photo: Portmanteau/WHS

Okay – what, then, is a circus art professorship?

“Despite the name, this title isn’t exactly related to academics,” do Vale explains. “I do sometimes teach at schools and give workshops, but my main focus is on my artistic work. Alongside my own projects, mainly with Portmanteau, I’m excited about continuing collaborations with other artists, and trying to help grow and enrich Finnish circus arts.”

International buzz

Illusions abound in this teaser for Perto (Near), which premiered in 2021, directed and cocreated by Luis Sartori do Vale.Video: Portmanteau/WHS

Finnish contemporary circus is drawing an international buzz – most of its leading troupes work more abroad than on the limited domestic circuit.

“The scene here is respected abroad and growing fast,” says do Vale. “When I arrived in Finland in 2011, there were around 20 active companies. Today there are at least twice as many, with around 400 professionals. Recently, lots of Finnish artists who were working or studying abroad are returning home, which positively affects the growth and development of the field.”

More international talents are coming to Finland, too, as do Vale did. Born in 1982, he started out juggling in Brazil in 2000, studying fine arts there before figuratively running away to join the circus world at the École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque in Brussels. He performed with top French contemporary circus groups, including shows in Finland, before moving to Helsinki to work with Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth on its popular Talvisirkus (Winter Circus) show, which has had an annual run in various iterations since 1996.

Mighty youth network

Two men dance among a small forest of white balloons that float above a stage, each with a hanging string that is attached to the floor.

Lento (“Flight” in Finnish) portrays risk, control, obsession and nostalgia.Photo: Luis Sartori do Vale

“Circus is quite strong in Finland and Sweden, but it isn’t yet recognised as an artform in many European countries,” says Lotta Nevalainen of Circus & Dance Info Finland. “We have a very strong network of youth circus schools. For instance, Circus Helsinki has over 1,000 students, while the oldest companies, Circo Aereo and WHS, get state funding.”

What makes Finnish contemporary circus distinctive? “It has a strong sense of physical presence combined with high artistic skill,” says Nevalainen. “There’s also often high-quality light design, thanks to designers like Mikki Kunttu, who has done light design for Cirque de Soleil.” Finnish circus performers also often excel at aerial artistry, including aerial silks master Ilona Jäntti and groups such as Race Horse Company.

Feel the performance

Two serious-looking men, one of them holding an old-fashioned lantern, stare at something outside the picture frame.

Luis Sartori do Vale (left) and Thom Monckton look into the distance in Pendulum.Photo: Cosmin Cirstea/Yourphotostory.dk

Do Vale’s professorship recognises circus for the first time on the same level as other performing arts, such as theatre and dance. Why was he singled out for the honour?

“Luis has worked with two companies that are quite recognised internationally, including Company Nuua, which he started with juggler Olli Vuorinen,” says Nevalainen. “They were recognised at the European level when they were quite young. Then Luis started his own company, Portmanteau.

“He’s very curious about working with everything from new magic to object manipulation to visual arts, often combining elements of visual narration. His strengths are in dialogue between different art forms and in bringing juggling into other forms of narration.”

Besides physical theatre, acrobatics and magic, do Vale has also included archery, drawing, photography, live video, drumming, dancing and roller-skating in his performances.

“But I’m interested in exploring these technical skills as tools of expression, rather than virtuosity,” he says. “My goal is to invite the audience to interpret and feel the performance based on their own personal experiences.”

By Wif Stenger, March 2024

Après-steam cuisine: 7 Finnish waterfront sauna restaurants serving delicious meals

Life & societyCuisine

In Helsinki and Tampere and further afield, these modern complexes share a minimalist design ethic that uses wood as a building material. Each houses more than one sauna and has waterfront access for a post-steam cool-off in a lake or in the sea.

Saunas are a big deal in Finland, which is often called the sauna nation. They form an intrinsic part of the country’s culture and daily life, so much so that “Sauna culture in Finland” appears on Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Sauna itself is a Finnish term that English and many other languages have adopted.

All under one stylish roof

A wooden building with a triangular archway is snowy on the outside and a window shows people sitting in a cosy room on the inside.

Löyly, a sauna and restaurant complex in Helsinki is atmospheric in the winter when snow covers the patio and the wooden slats of the façade.Photo: Yiping Feng and Ling Ouyang/Helsinki Partners

Finland has a history of pairing sauna experiences with food and drink – there’s even a recipe book of meals you can cook in the sauna, by author Katariina Vuori.

However, “having it all under one stylish roof with a full-service restaurant is a newer phenomenon,” says Finnish journalist, author and sauna expert Tiina Torppa.

Another decidedly Finnish touch is that all of the saunas in this article are located next to natural bodies of water, says Carita Harju. She’s the founder and director of the international organisation Sauna from Finland, dedicated to upholding the authentic Finnish sauna experience.

Harju selected seven noteworthy sauna restaurants for us. It’s only natural that a visit to a sauna, part of an age-old Finnish tradition that nourishes body and soul, can be followed by another kind of sustenance: a delectable meal.

Capital delights

An aerial shot shows a modern, angular wooden building with several patios beside the sea.

Photo: Joel Pallaskorpi/Helsinki Partners

Six people wearing bathing suits and towels sit around an indoor fireplace.

Photo: Maija Astikainen/Helsinki Partners

An interior shot shows a long bar in a word-furnished restaurant, with sets of tables across from the bar.

Photo: Kim Öhman/Helsinki Partners

Six people sit on benches in a sauna with some natural light shining in through a window.

Photo: Maija Astikainen/Helsinki Partners

Chairs are on a patio outside an angular wooden building with a triangular archway in the façade.

Photo: Pekka Keränen/Helsinki Partners

Löyly, Helsinki

The name Löyly comes from the Finnish word for the steam that rises when you ladle water over the rocks on top of the sauna stove. It was one of Finland’s first urban sauna restaurant complexes when it opened in 2016.

It was cofounded by one of the country’s top sauna ambassadors, Finnish actor Jasper Pääkkönen. He is well known for his roles in Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning movie BlacKkKlansman and the hit TV series Vikings.

Löyly features three saunas, including a traditional smoke sauna, and stairs that lead down to the sea. (In a Finnish smoke sauna, smoke fills the room while the sauna is heating up. Later the smoke is released through a vent and you can go in. The effect is steam that is even more soothing than usual and leaves a sweet, smoky aroma on your skin.)

Après-steam and après-swim, classic salmon soup is one of the most popular items on the menu in the glass-walled sea-view restaurant next to the saunas. There are also several levels of outdoor patios during the warm season. Award-winning Löyly inspired Time magazine to call it one of the World’s 100 Greatest Places.

Urban spa

An aerial shot shows several swimming pools at the edge of a harbour basin.

Photo: Allas

A cosy restaurant has floors and furnishings made of wood.

Photo: Allas

A sauna with several wooden benches also has a long window that looks out on the sea.

Photo: Allas

On one side of a harbour at twilight, rows of lights show where several swimming pools are.

Photo: Allas

Allas Sea Pool, Helsinki

This floating sauna and outdoor swimming pool complex nestled in Helsinki’s central harbour offers unparalleled views of waterfront historic buildings in a range of architectural styles from neoclassical to functionalist.

Allas (the word means “basin” or “pool”) has heated and cold-water pools, and saunas where you can see across the harbour to the ferries that supply connections to the local islands and to points further afield such as Stockholm, Sweden and Tallinn, Estonia. 

Allas Sea Pool opened in 2016 and includes a café and restaurant with a range of Nordic fare, along with a summer rooftop terrace for drinks overlooking the city.

Some like it truly hot

People sit on the patio of a waterside restaurant in front of a bridge that spans the water.

Photo: Laura Vanzo/Visit Tampere

Several people are sitting on a wooden bench in a sauna, gazing out the window.

Photo: Laura Vanzo/Visit Tampere

A waterside building with a large patio and a large balcony are visible through tree branches with colourful autumn foliage on them.

Photo: Laura Vanzo/Visit Tampere

Kuuma, Tampere

The western central Finnish city of Tampere is the sauna capital of the world according to the Finnish Sauna Society and the International Sauna Association. It boasts 55 public saunas, ranging from modern to historic and including Rajaportti, the country’s oldest public sauna still in use, which dates back to 1906.

Tucked into the city centre lies the modern, sweat-swim-dine-drink location Kuuma (the name means “hot” in Finnish). It features two mixed public saunas and a cold plunge pool outside in the harbour. The onsite restaurant serves a range of food, from casual cuisine to fancier fare such as whitefish ceviche, tartar and crème brûlée.

Making waves

Several people are sitting and standing on a wooden deck that surrounds an outdoor swimming area.

Photo: Sataman Viilu

Restaurant tables are set beside a floor-to-ceiling window looking out on a small-boats harbour.

Photo: Sataman Viilu

A long, two-storey wooden building with large windows is located beside a lake.

Photo: Sataman Viilu

A wooden bucket is on a wooden bench in a sauna.

Photo: Sataman Viilu

Restaurant tables are set beside a floor-to-ceiling window.

Photo: Sataman Viilu

A man sits on a bench in a sauna, gazing out of a long window at the landscape outside.

Photo: Sataman Viilu

Sataman Viilu, Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä in central Finland is famous for its connection with renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898–1976), including a couple dozen of his buildings and a museum that bears his name. The city is also home to Sataman Viilu (“the veneer of the harbour”), a set of saunas in a striking wooden structure at water’s edge.

Its three different types of saunas are open year-round. There’s also a sheltered terrace with jacuzzis and a lakeside pool. The airy, light-filled restaurant focuses on seasonal ingredients.

One of Jyväskylä’s most popular sights is just outside Viilu: a wooden boat that Alvar Aalto designed and used in the 1950s, now housed in a permanent glass-walled exhibition space.

Island vibe

Over a table that contains a fine meal, four hands are clinking together the wineglasses they hold.

Photo: Luoto

A window allows light into a dark sauna where four people are sitting on wooden benches.

Photo: Luoto

Luoto, Kuopio

In the eastern Finnish city of Kuopio, on a terrace overlooking Lake Kallavesi, wooden swings suspended by ropes set a playful but subdued Nordic tone. Luoto is a sauna restaurant close to the city centre, yet removed from its hustle and bustle. The name means “small island,” and the building perches on a breakwater that juts out into the lake.

There are two general mixed saunas: a traditional Finnish sauna, Hehku, as well as modern smoke sauna called Haiku.

From the sauna terrace, it’s possible to go for a dip year-round in the lake, which has been affectionately dubbed a natural “infinity pool.” During the frozen winter months, a hole in the ice is kept open for quick icy plunges.

Luoto’s restaurant serves hearty dishes, from gourmet burgers to mushroom risotto and salmon soup.

Bucket list

.A row of wooden tables in a bright, airy restaurant with large windows.

Photo: Kiulu

An interior shot of an empty sauna with a window showing a lake and trees outside.

Photo: Kiulu

A long dock and a waterside patio outside a modernistic wooden building.

Photo: Kiulu

Kiulu, Ähtäri

In Finnish, the word kiulu refers to a wooden bucket or pail for holding water in the sauna. Using a long-handled ladle, sauna-goers pour water over the rocks of the sauna stove to create the gentle steam called löyly.

Located in the central Finnish town of Ähtäri, Kiulu features two saunas, a 20-person main sauna and a ten-person maisemasauna (“landscape sauna”) that looks out over Lake Hankavesi.

The onsite restaurant serves casual to formal fare, and all of the spaces share an outdoor terrace that frames the surrounding nature.

Summer sauna island

A child of perhaps four years old dressed in summery clothing sits on a chair beside a restaurant table.

Photo: Lonna

In an aerial shot, a low wooden building is located by a rocky seashore, with several brick buildings visible behind it.

Photo: Lonna

A low wooden building with a metal roof.

Photo: Lonna

Several wooden buckets are shown on a countertop beside a wooden staircase.

Photo: Lonna

From the patio of a wooden building, we see an expanse of seawater with a boat and an island in the background.

Photo: Lonna

Three chairs are on the seashore under a leafy green tree.

Photo: Lonna

Lonna, Helsinki

The tiny picture-postcard island of Lonna is just a short ferry ride away from Market Square in the capital. Lonna’s design saunas, dreamed up by a firm with the intriguing name Office for Peripheral Architecture, are located right on the coastline, so visitors can go for a refreshing swim in the Baltic Sea in between steamy sessions.

Though not under the same roof – but a very short walk away (less than one minute) – Lonna’s charming restaurant serves seasonal fare with an emphasis on organic Finnish ingredients. As both sauna and restaurant are very popular, advance booking (available online) is recommended for Lonna, which is only open during the summer season.

By Katja Pantzar, February 2024

In the far north, Siida shows a Sámi view of how nature and culture go together

Arts & cultureCulture

The Siida Sámi Museum and Nature Centre, located in the far-northern town of Inari, Finland, reopened in 2022 after renovations and the installation of a new permanent exhibition, These Lands Are Our Children. The museum then proceeded to break all previous attendance records.

The Sámi are the only recognised Indigenous People in the EU area. Their northern homeland, called Sápmi, is divided into four parts by the borders of the nation-states Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia.

In addition to the museum, the Siida building also houses a shop, a restaurant, Inari Tourist Information and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre, run by Metsähallitus, the state-owned enterprise that manages Finland’s national parks. Metsähallitus also worked together with the museum on designing These Lands Are Our Children.

You’re in the north now

A car drives past road signs in a forested landscape.

These bilingual signs at the Norwegian border in northeastern Finland tell you where you are in Finnish and in Northern Sámi.Photo: Ritva Siltalahti/Lehtikuva

Siida, whose name is a Northern Sámi word referring to a home village or community, presents Sámi culture together with Arctic nature. Museumgoers soon perceive the clear ties between the two.

While Siida is not exactly difficult to reach, you do have to make some effort: Inari is 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) north of Helsinki, at a latitude matching that of northern Alaska. During one typical summer week, I spotted license plates in the parking lot from Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland and Poland.

A landscape full of landmarks

In an aerial photo, a large river flows through a forested landscape with mountains in the background.

A river called Juutuanjoki in Finnish and Juvduujuuhâ in Inari Sámi eventually flows past Siida and into Lake Inari.Photo: Michael Runkel/ImageBroker/Lehtikuva

The museum galleries are on the second floor. Initial exhibits provide historical, cultural, linguistic and geological orientation about Sápmi and the Sámi before you enter the main hall.

In an expansive square room, 12 massive photographs stretch across the walls, three to a side, lit from behind. Each picture was taken in a different month of the year and shows a landmark Sápmi landscape, many of them in national parks or nature preservation areas: Kevo Canyon in April, the rivers Tenojoki and Lemmenjoki (in June and July), Lake Inari (October), the peaks of Paistunturi and Hammastunturi (December and January).

On smaller accompanying panels, you can tap a screen for more specifics about what you’re seeing, including details about wildlife, vegetation, geology and history. You can toggle to maps, month-by-month temperature charts and graphs showing the extent of daylight hours (here in the far north, they vary dramatically, from zero hours in the winter to 24 hours in the summer).

The info is available in six languages. They include the three different Sámi languages spoken in Finland –Inari Sámi, Northern Sámi and Skolt Sámi – that have status as official languages in the area of Finland that overlaps Sápmi. The others are Finnish and Swedish, which are official languages throughout Finland, and English.

A kind of closer look

An enormous photo on a wall shows trees and other greenery in a forest.

In Siida’s main exhibition, you can lose yourself in the detail of the enormous photos of various local landscapes.Photo: Peter Marten

At any museum, different visitors get different things out of the exhibitions. This is especially true of Siida, which presents a complex combination of nature and culture and draws its audience from near and far.

Who you are and how far you’ve journeyed affect how you experience the exhibition. Many visitors have taken a long road north past forests, swamps, lakes and multiple series of rounded peaks that fill the horizon. People may have just finished hiking or skiing through a national park. Some travellers may be feeling a kind of dazed surprise at finding themselves this far north.

Siida offers an additional way to make sense of everything you see out there – a magnifying glass on the boundless landscape. It’s another way of stopping to take a closer look, just as you do if you’re out hiking.

Eight seasons

A green ring of light is visible in the dark sky over a snow-covered landscape.

In midwinter the sun doesn’t shine in the far north, but the Northern Lights may make an appearance.Photo: Stephan Rech/ImageBroker/Lehtikuva

If this is your only visit to the far north, the museum shows you what the region looks like during the rest of the year. Outside, it may be summer, when the nights are “nightless” because of the midnight sun. Inside, you might be looking at photos of the polar night, a midwinter period when the only light in the sky may be aurora borealis (the Northern Lights) or the moon.

You’ll also get acquainted with new seasons – the Sámi divide the year into eight seasons, with “spring-summer” coming between spring and summer, “autumn-summer” between summer and autumn, and so on.

Of course, none of that will come as any surprise to museumgoers who are Sámi themselves. For them, Siida can act as a flagship and a cultural resource that contributes to maintaining the shared memory and heritage of the Sámi people.

These Lands Are Our Children contains “the story of Sámi culture, told by the Sámi themselves,” says museum director Taina Pieski in a press release, and “it clearly speaks to both outsiders and the Sámi community.”

A culture that continues

A woman holds up one of several woven ribbons from a box on a table.

Siida curator Anni Guttorm examines some of the 2,000 Sámi objects repatriated to the Sámi Museum by the Finnish National Museum in 2021.Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Lehtikuva

In the middle of the exhibition hall, videos show modern everyday Sámi life, and glass cases display objects and artefacts from the recent and distant past. They include Sámi duodji (Sámi handicrafts), ládjogahpir (an ornate hat worn by Sámi women) and souvenir T-shirts from Ijahis Idja (Nightless Night), an Indigenous music festival held in Inari every summer.

One video follows a crew that is restoring a river to its pre-1960s condition to provide a better environment for fish. The project draws on Sámi traditional knowledge.

Another display details the “the ancient and fluid relationship between the reindeer and humans.” The Sámi are a “culture based on reindeer” – the animal has “major communal and cultural significance for all Sámi groups,” says the accompanying text.

Annual events such as the reindeer roundup in winter bring families and communities together. Working with reindeer is even an important element of Sámi languages, which contain “a large vocabulary related to reindeer husbandry and nature.”

The renovations at Siida added a new space for the many items in the museum’s collection that are not on display in the exhibitions. With more than 10,000 items, it’s the world’s largest collection of Sámi objects. In addition, it contains thousands of photos. And it has continued to grow: The Finnish National Museum repatriated more than 2,000 Sámi items to Siida in 2021, and the Museum of Northern Ostrobothnia repatriated 400 items in 2024. The return of such objects to the Sámi has “a profound meaning for the Sámi community,” Pieski says.

Poetic writing on the wall

In an aerial shot, the water of a forest-lined lake reflects the sky and clouds.

Lake Inari (Aanaarjävri in Inari Sámi) covers an area of more than 1,000 square kilometres (400 square miles).Photo: Michael Runkel/ImageBroker/Lehtikuva

A ramp leads from the lobby up to the exhibition spaces. If you’re too eager to get to the top, you might miss something important on the way.

Lettering on the wall in Inari Sámi, Finnish and English presents a poem by Inari Sámi author and teacher Matti Morottaja (born in 1942). It’s about the significance of the names attached to the locations and features in the landscape, to “each bay and headland,” as the poem says.

“These names are like the walls of a house,” Morottaja writes. They form a “map” – they carry and convey stories, history and signs of life. The way “someone named the bay and its sandy shores” is not that different from the way parents name their children.

Places in the terrain, given names by ancestors, “are older than any person,” the poem says. It ends with the line that gives the exhibition its title: “These lands are our children.”

Past and future generations

A view from a mountaintop showing forest, lakes and other mountains in the distance.

You can see mountains, lakes and the wide-open sky from the top of Otsamo (Ocomâš in Inari Sámi), a peak near the town of Inari (Aanaar).Photo: Peter Marten

How can places be old and still be children? Even without being able to read the poem in the original language, you can still guess that Morottaja and the curators wish to draw visitors’ attention to ideas they’ll find in the exhibition upstairs.

The landscape is older than the people who long ago placed names on its features in Sámi languages or other languages. But if these lands are “children,” they deserve respect and nurture. Or maybe “These lands are our children” means that, in a profound sense, future generations will depend on the land to sustain them, just as we do. It’s their inheritance.

Names and language can help connect people with nature and culture. All the info at Siida, all the words and imagery, goes a long way towards deepening that connection, no matter where you come from.

A trail through history

Several people in colourful jackets walk past an old house made out of logs.

The open-air museum behind Siida features dozens of historic buildings relocated from nearby regions.Photo: Siida Sámi Museum and Nature Centre

Out in back of the Siida building, there’s an extensive open-air museum where a trail leads past about 50 houses, shelters and other structures. They are either historic buildings relocated from nearby regions or reconstructions based on archaeological finds or community knowledge. There are even various contraptions that were used to catch wolves, bears, capercaillies and other animals.

A homestead from the 1800s was brought in from the village of Tirro in 1960. Other buildings include a cabin that served as a courthouse in a remote region until 1905. There’s an entire Skolt Sámi dwelling site with a log hut, shelters for sheep and reindeer, and a treehouse-like storage structure for keeping food out of reach of animals. One building shows off a range of different boats and sleds, two important methods of transport for the Sámi.

The open-air museum opened in 1963 as the Sámi Museum and was the first independent Sámi museum in the Nordic countries. Siida itself opened in 1998.

By Peter Marten, February 2024