School of Business building staircase invited art competition

The invited art competition seeks to find exceptional and feasible proposals for artworks to be
situated in three staircase spaces at the School of Business building in Otaniemi, Espoo. Five artists and artist groups were invited to take part in the competition: IC 98, Pekka Paikkari, Riikka Puranen, Praneet Soi and Tatu Tuominen. 

'Art is an intrinsic part of our built environment at Aalto University. We encounter and experience art in diverse locations including indoor and outdoor public spaces, but also in more private spaces such as offices and meeting rooms,' sanoo Anna Valtonen, Aalto University's Vice President for Arts of Creative Practices.

Successful proposals will follow the art concept of the School of Business and the vision of public art at Aalto University. The competitors may suggest art works to either one or three staircases. Deadline for proposals is 30 April 2019 and the results of the competition will be published in May 2019.

The vision of public art at Aalto University

In 2017, Aalto University decided to comply with a one per cent art principle in its building projects. The art percent is a funding model for art purchases, where approximately one per cent of a building project's funds are allocated to art purchases. The one per cent art principle was first applied to Radical Nature art concept in Aalto University’s main building Dipoli.

The vision of public art at Aalto University is to address and raise questions about what it is to be a university, what we do together in society, and what constitutes the public. Public art is site-specific and connects with the diversity of the university and its post-disciplinary communities. Public artworks reflect this diversity through different art forms, materials, techniques and traditions.

More information
Outi Turpeinen
Aalto University, Art Coordinator
[email protected]
+358 50 4314194

More information on public art at Aalto University

School of Business building is a part of a larger building block, and it’s two other parts are Väre, the School of Arts, Design and Architecture’s new building and the shopping centre A Bloc. The block was designed by Verstas Architects, consisting of the alumni of Aalto University, which won the international architectural competition held 2012-2013. 189 proposals were entered in the competition. The main designer is Jussi Palva from Verstas Architects and the other main architects are Väinö Nikkilä, Riina Palva, Ilkka Salminen and Mikko Rossi.