Completed at the beginning of 2026, the Space and Imagination public artwork spreads throughout the new Valkeavuori school building in Kaarina in several different ways. It continues my series of works created for various schools, the aim of which is to create a distinctive visual spatial experience and atmosphere within the building. The work draws its inspiration from the Tuorla Observatory located in Kaarina.
The artwork consists of three parts:
1. The Rocket. In front of the eight-meter-high elevator shaft at the main entrance, a rocket has been installed. Its shelves can be used to display works created by students, ranging from sculptures to videos. The rocket transports the works into a universe of fantasy, though mainly through the power of imagination, as its legs are firmly planted on the ground and its exhaust fumes are formed from tree trunks!
On the topmost shelf of the rocket is a flame-shaped light sculpture titled Flame.
Behind the rocket, an acrylic print covering the entire wall shows Kaarina’s landmark buildings flying through the air. Beneath the print, we notice that, through a blend of surrealism, the school construction site has revealed, among other things, Roman temple ruins, a giant mushroom, and an enormous palm tree.
2. The Booths. I worked in workshops with approximately 150 students under the guidance of visual arts teacher Leena-Maija Pisto. The students drew space rockets and planets, which I incorporated into space-themed images that cover the walls and ceilings of six booths. The space imagery in one of the booths was provided by members of the Turku Astronomical Society (URSA): Anna-Kaisa Ahlamo, Petrus Kurppa, and Terhi Virjonen. Each booth can accommodate two people sitting inside; between them is a small table, whose surfaces I illustrated myself.
3. The Satellites. Yellow dodecahedron-shaped satellites have also been attached throughout different areas of the building. They create a visual connection between the booths and the rocket. On the daycare side of the building, children’s artworks can be attached to the pentagonal surfaces of the satellites.
