Art in Väre by Vice President Anna Valtonen

In our Aalto University strategy, one of the key objectives is to renew society by art, creativity and design. Understanding who we are, how we see others, developing for the future, and re-newing society is based on exploration; research and experiments, imagination and insight.

Art gives us an opportunity to rethink all forms of knowing and doing. To be able to experience great art in our premises – to have this opportunity to rethink on a daily basis – is a privilege. It is also a big commitment by Aalto University, to ensure that we all can access art, to allow for different perspectives and to embrace the diverse modes of making sense and experiencing the world. We are the first university in Finland to commit to the percentage for art principle, which means that approximately one per cent of a building project’s costs are allocated to art purchases.

Our new Väre building, the home of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, is the first new construction project where Aalto University applies this principle. Each individual artwork in Väre reminds us of the power of art in its ability to explore and expose diverse sociocultural and natural phenomena in our environments. The art concept, Global Equality, is manifested in and through different art forms, materials, techniques, and traditions and by artists from manifold backgrounds and contexts. Thus, the artworks provide us all the possibility to experience the theme through diverse perspectives. I hope that they also encourage you to rethink the world around you and to embrace imagination, intuition, and critical exploration in your daily life.

Anna Valtonen

Vice President, Aalto University