Main work of the Future Stories event series in Espoonlahti

Taidekollektiivi SISU, an art collective formed by Suvi Saastamoinen (Landscape Architect, Master of Arts) and Sini Parikka (Landscape Architect, Cultural Producer, Environmental Planner), was selected as the creator of the work from among some thirty applications.

“The topic of the call for applications immediately piqued our interest! It is natural for us to work on themes related to sustainable environment. We want our works to make people think about and appreciate the diversity of nature. It is important that we act now so that future generations also have the opportunity for meaningful encounters with nature,” Parikka and Saastamoinen say.

Rakkauskirjeitä luonnolle (Love Letters to Nature), a series of five urban artworks by Taidekollektiivi SISU, aims to strengthen the connection of Espoo residents to their local environment and to facilitate climate anxiety by reminding them of what is meaningful and valuable in our environment at the moment. The love letters collected from city residents will be curated into a series of works made of recycled materials. 

The Future Stories event series, which lasts all summer, has been implemented together with city residents and external partners, and its goal is to address climate anxiety through art. The concept seeks new ways to implement a sustainable culture and new stories to tell. The Future Stories events will culminate in Espoo Day on 26 August In Espoonlahti, where the communal main work by Taidekollektiivi SISU will be created. 

The panel of judges included representatives from Espoo’s Cultural Venues and Services service area along with Mia Kaurila, Project Coordinator at the Espoo Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, and Essi Kausalainen, Espoo Artist of the Year 2023.

According to Mia Kaurila, the applications were a great combination of sustainable development goals and opportunities for participation. 

“The applications showed a strong desire to respond to climate anxiety and create encounters between people. Residents must always be at the heart of these themes in the city’s operations. The urban environment is developed with the resident and a more sustainable future in mind. The level of applications was really high, so the choice was difficult. Many of the works were feasible and could have been potential choices. The applications included impressive working groups and objectives as well as well-considered presentations. The themes of the works were well thought out,” Kaurila says. 

Essi Kausalainen says that the Rakkauskirjeitä luonnolle project was selected from among the others because the work is clear and easily accessible.  

“It provides a platform for participants to examine their personal relationship with nature and share important experiences. The work operates in the personal area while being strongly attached to the environment in which it is displayed. Its subtle way of implementation encourages people to become sensitive to the environment and to observe it differently. The artists’ relationship with the materials and environment is deliberate, and the work does not produce any material surplus or burden on the environment. Instead, it invites participants to the values of sustainable development,” Kausalainen says. 

All Espoo Day events by Espoo’s Cultural Venues and Services are part of the Future Stories concept. For example, the Espoo Cultural Centre will host street art circus and the WeeGee Exhibition Centre will host a plant jam session. 

The Future Stories event series is also visible throughout the summer in Espoo’s event venues and their courtyards. The units of Cultural Venues and Services include Espoo Cultural Centre in Tapiola, Sello Hall in Leppävaara, Kannusali in Espoon keskus, Children’s Cultural Centre Aurora in Järvenperä, the WeeGee Exhibition Centre in Tapiola and the Espoonlahti cultural project.  

See the Future Stories events at www.espoo.fi/en/future-stories(external link, opens in a new window).