Shared imagination and the idea of waves - two new public art collections were unveiled

Two new buildings were completed in the heart of the Aalto University's Otaniemi campus, and approximately one percent of the construction project budgets were allocated to art acquisitions. In addition to commissioned artworks to follow the themes of the Marsio and Kide buildings' art collections, photography and graphics were also purchased for the buildings.

The works of thirteen artists, located in and around the two buildings, have been compiled into art catalogues that were published when the collections were unveiled. The catalogues can be found at the information points in the buildings' lobbies.

Different ways to approach waves

Waves in-between/ In-between waves, the art theme of the Kide building (Konemiehentie 1) chases after the idea of waves. The word aalto means wave in Finnish and therefore this connects the art theme to Aalto University. How differently can waves be approached in art? For example, colour is a wave like light and sound. One fascinating notion in technological changes is the differences between analogic waves being curved, but digital waves being square.

Waves also include the idea of repetition, which is present in many art techniques, but especially in traditional graphic art. In the office spaces on the second and third floors of the Kide building, there is graphic art from four artists: Inka Bell, Kari Laitinen, Sanna Hellikki Suova and Sakke Yrjölä. At the main entrance, artist Baptiste Debombourg's steel artwork flows like an uninterrupted liquid infiltrating the space.

Imagination belongs to everyone

Marsio building (Otakaari 2), a new meeting place at the Aalto University campus, invites you to immerse yourself in the world of science, art, technology and business. The purpose of theme of public art in Marsio, Sharing Imaginations, is to embrace science and art. Art creates an imaginative environment for study and work and simply encourages wonder. When we share the same experience with others, our brains synchronize with others, and we share imagination together. Sharing imagination is an essential skill for collaboration, creating new things, understanding, play, and social interaction.

Laura Könönen's stone sculptures were selected for installation in front of the building (2025). The second and third-floor studios and workspaces feature a curated collection of photography by six artists: Wilma Hurskainen, Noora Sandgren, Jari Silomäki, Maija Tammi, Saana Wang and Sheung Yiu. In the main staircase of the building, there is a site-specific assembly of five paintings by Maija Luutonen called Enta, which challenges our memory capacity as we move up the stairs.

Kide building's collection workgroups 
Artwork group: 
Marcus Korhonen, Anna Heiskanen, Christian Guckelsberger, Salu Ylirisku, and Sari Dhima

Curating of artworks: 
Christian Guckelsberger and Outi Turpeinen

Façade and lobby artwork jury: 
Ossi Naukkarinen (Chairman), Pilvi Kalhama, Mariana Amatullo, and Janne Halme

Marsio building's collection workgroups
Artwork group: 
Anastasia McAvennie, Riikka Mäkikoskela, Minna Suoniemi, Lily Diaz-Komonen, Sampo Sainio, Mikko Sams, Enrico Glerean, and Sari Dhima

Curating of artworks: 
Minna Suoniemi, Riikka Mäkikoskelo, Lily Diaz-Komonen and Outi Turpeinen

Site-specific artwork jury: 
Ossi Naukkarinen (Chairman), Pilvi Kalhama, Mariana Amatullo, and Heli Rekula

The vision of public art at Aalto University

In 2017, Aalto University decided to comply with a one per cent art principle in its building projects. The one per cent art principle was first applied to the Radical Nature art concept in Aalto University’s main building, Dipoli.

The vision of public art at Aalto University is to address and raise questions about what it is to be a university, what we do together in society, and what constitutes the public. Public art is site-specific and connects with the diversity of the university and its post-disciplinary communities. Public artworks reflect this diversity through different art forms, materials, techniques and traditions.