Oranki Art

The Finnish region of Lapland is known for is vast forests, the midnight sun during the summer and the darkness and snow during winter. Very few, however, know of its sculpture park filled with contemporary art.

It all began in 2001 when a few Finnish artists decided to organize an art exhibition in a pine forest on one of the artists’ land outside of the Oranki village. Originally the plan was not to tell anyone about it, as a reaction to mainstream art, but as early as the second year newsletters were being sent out. New pieces have been added each year since and the exhibition has grown dramatically.

The purpose of the exhibition is to promote contemporary art as well as the interaction between the public and the artists. That’s why a workshop is held when new pieces are added to start discussions around the artwork. Nowadays artists from countries outside Finland are represented as well.

Many of the works are made of materials found in the forest where the exhibition is located. This of course makes them vulnerable to shifting weather and the seasons, and so many of the pieces have to be seen as temporary.