Play and nature intertwine in new public artworks by Saara Ekström and Emmi Jormalainen

Saara Ekström: Pollen, 2024

Play and the historical urban milieu of Kallio enter into a dialogue with nature in Saara Ekström’s artwork Pollen. The work consists of a series of concrete sculptures that invite play in the schoolyard, a musical composition that acts as the signal for recess, and an piece indoors that explores forest nature. As part of the artwork, Ekström made a donation to the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation, which promotes the protection of primary forests. Ekström’s work encourages engagement with the environment and others through joy and curiosity and stands as a reminder of the significance of biodiversity and its essential role to all growth.

The forms of the schoolyard’s concrete sculptures are based on pollen grain images captured through a microscope. Ekström explains, “Pollen is considered the diamond of the plant world; despite its microscopic size, it is incredibly durable.” The school’s pollen diamonds were designed to encourage all kinds of play, and their earthy colours were inspired by the school building’s traditional hues. Lights resembling flower stems arch above the sculptures. 

The recess signal raises awareness of other sounds than just those of the city and traffic. Created in collaboration with the composer Lau Nau (Laura Naukkarinen), the sound piece features the hum of bumblebees and singing of birds, for example. The sound brings a greeting from the meadows and forests to the neighbourhood. 

Inside the school, the wonders of the forest are made visible in a work that takes old biology and botany illustrations as its starting point. Made on plywood, the piece combines image transfer and drawing, with the magic of the forest expanding into a diverse network that shelters inquisitive insects, birds, mammals, and reptiles.

Saara Ekström (b. 1965) is a multidisciplinary visual artist working with photography, film, text, and site-specific practices. She is interested in temporal layers and hidden realms. Ekström’s works bring together opposites such as culture and nature, the sacred and the profane. Ekström has made one other previous public artwork in Helsinki for Strömberg Primary School. Turku Main Library and the Tietotalo building of Tampere University also feature public artworks by Ekström. 

Emmi Jormalainen: In Sight, Out of Sight, 2025

Emmi Jormalainen’s work In Sight, Out of Sight has been installed in the newly renovated Daycare Ensi linja. Two large trees take shape on the staircase walls of this historically significant, prestigious building. The roots of the trees stretch all the way to the basement, and their trunks rise from one landing to the next, with the canopies reaching the third floor of the building.

The work is like a story unfolding as children move from floor to floor. Each floor has its own small ecosystem and reality, with a different animal taking the lead. By recognising the signature animal children can easily remember their own group’s home floor.

Jormalainen created the original images primarily using pencils, which allowed for detailed yet atmospheric drawings. After digitisation, the illustrations were coloured and finally printed as wallpaper covering eight walls.

In Sight, Out of Sight has been seamlessly integrated with the historic building, but it also refers to the nearby park. “A tree is life. Many kinds of insects, animals, birds, plants, and fungi – and the children of this day-care centre – live in and around the tree’s shelter. When you slow down and stop to observe your environment, you find lots of different animals who have found habitats amid human built environments. As the loss of biodiversity accelerates, animal species seek shelter from urban areas. I have met most of these animals along the shore of Tokoinlahti or elsewhere in Kallio. In Sight, Out of Sight reveals the diversity of life around us,” Jormalainen says.

Emmi Jormalainen (b. 1979) is a Helsinki-based illustrator and graphic designer who combines drawing and visual storytelling in her works. She has published various silent books – books without words - and illustrated around 30 children’s books. Her works feature recurring themes of nature and animals. 

The new public artworks were financed in accordance with Percent for Art principle: A part of the City of Helsinki’s budget for construction and renovation projects is set aside for new public artworks. HAM Helsinki Art Museum acts as an art expert in these projects, and the works are added to the City of Helsinki’s art collection, managed and curated by HAM. The collection already includes more than 200 works implemented through the Percent for Art principle.