Memorial to former President of Finland, made of Outokumpu stainless steel, unveiled in Helsinki
News
November 27, 2023
The Välittäjä, meaning mediator, sculpture which depicts former Finnish President Mauno Koivisto between East and West, has risen in the park of the Little Parliament of Helsinki. The memorial was unveiled on November 25, 2023 to mark the centenary of the birth of Koivisto.
Sculptor Kirsi Kaulanen's work "Välittäjä" won the 2021 open monument competition organized by the Government. Altogether 110 suggestions were received in the competition. The sculpture is made of two parts, and it is six-meter-high and fifteen-meter-long. It was located in the Little Parliament park in Helsinki in October 2023, on the both sides of the park's walkaway, which makes it possible to walk through the monument.
"Steel plays an important cohesive role in society, which is being built piece by piece to be more sustainable. Steel was the only right choice for this piece, as it is a tough and strong material that can also be used to make particularly fragile structures – in this case, thin line-like pieces. Domesticity and sustainability were also important factors when making the choice, and that's why I ended up with Outokumpu. Thanks to the high degree of recycling, the Välittäjä sculpture has a small carbon footprint and at the same time, a new life has been created for, for example, recycled spoons and forks. I am particularly happy about this", describes the artist.
The sculpture is made of two parts, and it’s six-meter-high and fifteen-meter-long. nd it consists of numerous 10–15 centimeter thin and 10-meter-long pieces. The exciting project lasted almost three years, requiring collaboration between various organization and companies from 3 D modeling to welding.
Published nov. 27, 2023