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The work Kimono by Karin Widnäs (b. 1946) was revealed on the opening day of the Turku Capital of Culture year on 15 January 2011. The work is formed of special bricks shaped like Japanese kimonos, built in a wastewater treatment station pipe. The mould of the bricks has been prepared on the basis of the artist’s plaster mould at the ceramics factory of IDO.
The sculpture Daisy by Jani Rättyä (b.1973) and Antti Stöckel (b.1973), situated on the grass area between the ship Suomen Joutsen (Swan of Finland) and Forum Marinum, is a temporary work of Turku’s outdoor collection with an estimated lifespan of 3 to 5 years. The stem of the plant consists of 12 wooden parts, the petals have been made of fibreglass strengthened with steel and the yellow centre of the flower is made of wood.
The herm of R.W. Ekman by Wäinö Aaltonen (1894-1966) stands in front of the Turku Art Museum. A herm is a sculpture with a bust or a head placed on top of a square column.
Robert Wilhelm Ekman (1808-1873) was a notable Finnish painter in the 1850s. He was also the founder and first director of the Turku Art School. Ekman’s most famous works are the frescoes in the chancel of the Turku Cathedral.
The herm of Ekman was acquired with the help of a donation from Gustav Albert Petrelius, and it was unveiled on 4 January 1927.
The state commissioned a sculpture of the multiple Olympic gold medallist Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973) in 1924. This was the first public sculpture commission in independent Finland, and it depicts the athlete naked, according to the ideals of ancient Olympia.
In Turku, Wäinö Aaltonen (1984-1966) wanted the sculpture to face the training grounds in Littoinen, and it stands now on a traffic island on Itäinen Rantakatu. The sculpture highlights the agility of the athlete’s step and the long movements of his body.