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Elina Lifländer (1978 - )
Eliisa Suominen (1977 - )
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| sculpture |
Aikamerkki-teossarja / Time Signal series (Temporary) |
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Designed by stage designer Elina Lifländer and artist Eliisa Suominen, the Time Signal series in 2005 employed temporary parallel artworks to update the statues of Topelius, Leino and Runeberg in the Esplanadi Park. The statues’ new interpretations encouraged the audience to see them from different perspectives. Using contemporary media, the parallel pieces commented on and made visible stories relating to the historical sculptures. The multi-dimensional pieces combined stage design, environmental and visual art.
1. Prism – The Birches of Topelius
Cut out from reflective matt steel, the leafy birch tree branches around the two original statues created an illusion that evoked Topelius' tale The Birch and the Star. Softly reflecting light, the steel surfaces dissolved the interface between reality and reflection. The original sculpture was Fact and Fable by Gunnar Finne from 1932. It is a memorial to Zacharias Topelius (1818–1898).
2. Between the Lines – Onerva and Leino
Next to the statue of the poet Eino Leino was a cut-out silhouette of Leino's muse and life partner, the writer L. Onerva. The piece was nearly three metres tall, allowing onlookers to walk right through it. The cut-out space delineated the silhouette of the first major female poet in Finland. The original sculpture was Lauri Leppänen's statue of the poet Eino Leino (1878–1926), erected as a memorial in 1953.
3. Memo – Runeberg
A 4.5-metre-long tunnel was built next to the statue of Runeberg, with a bas-relief of the poet's profile on the wall inside the tunnel. In the tunnel, one could hear less well-known stanzas from the lyrics of the Finnish national anthem whispered in Finnish, Swedish and English. The original sculpture was a memorial to J.L. Runeberg (1804–1877), the Finnish national poet and the writer of the lyrics to the national anthem. The statue was sculpted in 1885 by Walter Runeberg.
Time Signal was the winning entry in a national multiple-arts competition entitled Määrettömyys/Ohändlighetkonst, announced on 27 April 2004 by the Espoo Art Museum and the Espoo City Theatre. The competition’s jury praised the winning entry for its ability to change the ways in which familiar monuments are regarded
©
Visual Artists Association
© Helsinki City Artmuseum
WWW-production: Lasipalatsin Mediakeskus Oy,
Flammable Solutions Oy 2001
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