Ninni Luhtasaari’s fountain sculpture has been installed in Ala-Malmi

“Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on now and then, and each of us is capable of supporting others,” explains Ninni Luhtasaari, shedding light on the central ideas behind the artwork. 

Ninni Luhtasaari has been working with fountain motifs for many years, and The Supporting Act is her first monumental sculpture for an outdoor setting. 

When planning her artwork, Luhtasaari spent time in Ala-Malmi Park, talking with the people who use it. 

“I asked what they would like to see here, and the responses I got included Adonises or dolphins. That stuck with me at the conceptual stage, and perhaps it influenced the design of the artwork. The welcoming and playful atmosphere of the park also contributed to how the idea for the artwork came about,” Luhtasaari notes. 

In the artwork, water sprays from the fingers of the two figures on top. The title, The Supporting Act, refers both to performers that warm up the crowd for the main star and to our ability to help and carry each other – to support our fellow creatures. Luhtasaari seeks to remind us how important we are to each other. 

The artwork also incorporates warm humour and features references to both the spectacular fountains of historical parks and the decorative fountains familiar from domestic gardens.

The comprehensive renovation of Ala-Malmi Park is one of the first milestones of the suburban regeneration of Malmi. Luhtasaari’s new fountain complements the formal garden, which was originally designed in the 1990s and is something of a rarity in Helsinki. 

Ninni Luhtasaari (b. 1987) is a visual artist and musician who lives and works in Tampere. Her artworks feature soft, curious figures marvelling at their own bodies. Luhtasaari works primarily with ceramics and embroidery, and the artwork in Ala-Malmi Park is her first sculpture made of poured concrete. 

“Liquid leaks and runs from my sculptures, and while a leak is often considered a weakness, in my artworks, bodies can be vulnerable and free of the pressures society imposes,” explains Luhtasaari. 

The Supporting Act will be unveiled at a public event in Ala-Malmi Park on Tuesday 6 October at 13:00–14:00. Curator and Gallerist Veikko Halmetoja inaugurates the artwork, and Artist Ninni Luhtasaari performs music.

The new artwork has been added to the art collection of the City of Helsinki, which is curated and managed by HAM. The commission was made possible by the Percent for Art Principle, which funds the majority of Helsinki’s public art. As part of the suburban regeneration of Malmi, a public art programme has been made for the area. Luhtasaari’s fountain is the first of the artworks commissioned through the art programme. The work was curated by HAM Helsinki Art Museum and commissioned by the City of Helsinki’s Urban Environment Division.