Art supplements the offering of the Music Hall

The interior artworks offer multiple possibilities for interpretation

In 2023, the City of Turku organised an open art competition for proposals for artworks for Fuuga’s main foyer and musicians’ foyer. The competition was won by the sculptor and textile artist Johanna Suonpää (b. 1969) with a sculpture in three parts. The inspiration for the work came from the name of the Music Hall, Fuuga, or fugue, a type of composition consisting of several independent voices.

The wall sculpture Soiva sydän (Resonating Heart) to be placed in the musicians’ foyer represents the expressive power and passion of the heart. The sculpture Legato, placed on another wall, “accompanies” this theme.

The work Kaiut (Echoes), to be suspended above the main foyer, is an organically formed sculpture extending across different levels. Its delicate lines echo the curved shapes of the Music Hall’s interior, which, together with its reflective metal surfaces, refer to the flow and glimmer of water. The sculpture alludes to the flickering reflections on the Aura River’s surface as well as echoes of its darkest layers. These layers will be expressed through the sculpture’s polished bronze surfaces and the partially patinated darker surfaces.

Outdoor art creates a multisensory experience in Fuuga and its environs

In 2023, an open portfolio application process was arranged for artists to create an outdoor art entity for Fuuga. The Music Hall art team selected the team of Tommi Grönlund (b. 1967) and Petteri Nisunen (b. 1962) to create the outdoor art.

The art project will bring significant and unique public art to the new Music Hall Fuuga. The connection between music and other art forms complements the visitor experience and inspires discussion and interaction.

 Nikke Isomöttönen, Chief Executive Officer at Turku Philharmonic Orchestra

Tommi Grönlund and Petteri Nisunen come from an architectural background. Their artistic production consists of installations that combine technology, science and art. One of the selection criteria of the Music Hall art team was the idea that bringing together the outdoor green spaces with art that draws on technology could create a surprising and multisensory aesthetic entity around the building.

Motion and light play an essential role in the artwork designed by Grönlund-Nisunen for Fuuga. Wind also adds an element of its own to the work reflecting the environment. The reflections on the rotating artwork change with its movement, and the parts also reflect each other. The piece is the artist duo’s first kinetic public artwork placed in an outdoor environment.

The Soihtu fountain sculpture by Terho Sakki, previously located at the Music Hall site in Itsenäisyydenaukio square, is also included in the art project. It will find its place in front of Fuuga.

• Turku Music Hall Fuuga