EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art celebrated the September 19 unveiling of Emma leaves a trace, a new public artwork by the Finnish sculptor Kim Simonsson at Tapiola’s new subway station. The piece was co-commissioned by EMMA and Länsimetro Oy. The monumental white sculpture is the centrepiece in a multiform ‘total work of art’ filling the subway space. The bronze sculpture is painted completely white except for one colourful hand. Also forming part of the work is a trail of traces reiterating the rainbow hues of the colourful hand, along with a series of digital animations featuring the figure in the sculpture “colouring in” Tapiola. The animations will be screened on digital media panels around Tapiola and on social media platforms.
Public art in subway stations has achieved great worldwide popularity: there are many impressive works around the world that lend a unique visual identity to subway environments. Simonsson – an artist known for his white ceramic sculptures – is the perfect match for the architecture of Tapiola subway station, which is airy and predominantly white. The artist was asked to create a piece breaking new ground in public art: the brief was to create a landmark identifying the subway station and cultural centre of Tapiola in a multiform artwork assuming various forms beyond just the centrepiece sculpture.
Emma leaves a trace was produced with the kind support of the City of Espoo, the Saastamoinen Foundation and the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland.
For further details:
Pilvi Kalhama, Museum Director, EMMA
pilvi.kalhama@emma.museum, p. +358 40 533 4070
Satu Linkola, Communications Manager, Länsimetro project
satu.linkola@lansimetro.fi , p. +358 46 877 3392
photo: Yehia Eweis / EMMA