Aug 15, 2024
Italian artist Fabio Petani was chosen among 479 applicants in a Europe-wide portfolio application process. The artist, known for his plant-themed artwork, has sought inspiration from local nature.
The series of murals commissioned as a part of the culture program Oulu2026 is continuing this summer in Myllyoja. The mural will be completed during August and is located on the end wall of a six-story building at the address Karvarinaukio 12.
Fabio Petani “Methylacetophenone & Crocosmia aurea” (2022), Pescara, Italia. Kuva: Fabio Petani
The artist was chosen via a portfolio application, among 479 applications from 39 European countries. A board of professionals chose the Italian artist Fabio Petani to execute the piece. One of the selection criteria was a different approach from the previous two years. Petani, who works with botanical and nature themes, impressed the board with his recognizable and original style.
Fabio Petani arrived in Oulu at the beginning of August, whereupon he started his process in Myllyoja by getting to know the area and its wildlife. Petani got to know the locals as well, by participating in a day trip to Hailuoto, arranged by the residents’ association of Myllyoja.
Petani’s goal is to create a piece of art that reflects the spirit of Oulu.
“I have familiarized myself with the history and culture of Oulu, focusing especially on the local spectrum of nature, which is the basis of my artistic work. In the mural I will be combining plant elements with cultural symbolism,” Petani explains the starting point for his artwork.
Petani’s aim is to make art accessible to everyone, while also changing everyday environments into unique visual experiences.
“I want to paint a mural that the residents of the area can be proud of, and one that creates a sense of community. At the same time I wish for the piece to be a celebration of the cohabitation of humans and nature.”
Fabio Petani (b. 1987) works mostly with nature-related themes. His expression is characterized by the combination of harmony and disruption. Petani has created numerous public pieces in his native Italy, as well as other countries around Europe. His art can be found both in galleries and in public spaces. Petani’s site-specific art is born from contemplating our relationship with nature.
The artist was chosen by a jury of professionals on public art, which was comprised of visual artist Minna Kangasmaa, curator of Oulu Art Museum Katariina Kemppainen, producer of Oulu Culture Association Inka Hyvönen, and art coordinator of Upeart Yiorgos Slunga.
The locations of the Oulu2026 murals are chosen by citizens of Oulu in a yearly vote. The previous murals are in Rajakylä and Tuira.
The piece called Ovensuussa in Tuira was painted in 2023 by the Canadian artist Ilana Pichon. British artist Eloise Gillow painted Käännekohta in Rajakylä in 2022. When Oulu becomes the European Capital of Culture in 2026, a mural will be painted in the city center. Activities such as art tours and contests will be held around all of the murals. After completion the pieces will become part of the collection of Oulu Art Museum.
Oulu is the European Capital of Culture 2026. Oulu and the whole Northern Finland will be filled with culture, art, and events. Northern Finland will be put on the map like never before, as both Finnish and international culture operators create new visions in cities, in the countryside, and in nature. This is a journey of several years, which will culminate in 2026.
More information:
Upeart, +358 50 468 6521, press(at)upeart.com
Apr 26, 2024
All the acts for the Oulu2026 Stage showcasing artists from the Oulu region have now been selected. As many as 164 applications were submitted in the open application process, and 8 acts were selected to play at the festival. The audience can enjoy the versatile selection of artists free of charge in Linnansaari on July 26–27.
Electronic pop whiz Eriika is one of the artists of Oulu2026 Stage. Photo: Iisa Kinnunen
The artists stepping onto the Oulu2026 Stage include northern house duo Winter Games, metal core group Lowhill, Sami rapper Yungmiqu, punk rock posse Taskujauheliha, nuanceful rock act Sagastrophe, melodic metal powerhouse Epileptica, electronic pop whiz Eriika, and finally Nope, a deadly danceable folk-music ensemble. In addition to these, the Oulu2026 Stage will feature a still undisclosed artist from Tarto, one of the European Capitals of Culture this year.
Oulu2026 Producer Erica Giacoletto is overjoyed about the wide range of high-quality applicants.
– So many were interested in playing on the Oulu2026 Stage, and the number of applicants doubled from last year. It is fabulous to feature artists from different genres and backgrounds on our stage. We are proud of the music scene in our region, and it is wonderful to be able to showcase it on the way toward our year as the European Capital of Culture, Giacoletto says.
Oulu2026 promotes the exposure of bands from Oulu and the whole region both locally and at international showcase festivals. The Oulu2026 Stage at Qstock is an integral part of this activity.
Qstock is organised annually on Kuusisaari and Raatti islands in Oulu on the last weekend of July. It has established a status as one of the biggest festivals in Finland, attracting 40 000 visitors over two days.
Apr 15, 2024
“The Sound of the North – tracing the origins of popular music” is a digital story route that can be experienced throughout Oulu using your own mobile device. The permanent route, which will be published on 10 April, is part of the Oulu region’s journey towards becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2026.
Kuusrock Festival in the beginning the 1970’s. (Photo: archive of Kaleva newspaper)
Ten nostalgic short stories tell about the phenomena, waves, places and people of popular music in Oulu. The stories were written and are narrated by musician Esa “Katz” Nissi from the band Radiopuhelimet. On the route’s map, the stories are placed close to their actual locations and can either be read or listened to.
“Rattori Club was no more, and the rock folk dispersed all over town”
The vivid stories of the Sound of the North route take you from Kuusrock to Air Guitar World Championships and from Rauhala to NuKu’s discos. Rattori-Lupi, Metal City, Leipätehdas, 45 Special, the Madetoja Music High School and the paska kaupunni (“shitty city”, misspelled) graffiti each also have their own stories.
Many of the places and phenomena in the stories were already familiar to their writer, Esa Nissi. Nissi describes his work as very interesting, but also challenging due to the scope of the topic.
“Of course, I was aware of how multidimensional popular music is in Oulu. The theme could easily warrant a more extensive review, but we wanted to keep the stories concise. A lot of interesting things had to be left out. This part was the biggest challenge in the writing,” says Nissi.
In addition to Nissi’s stories, the route also includes interviews that take the listener even deeper into the world of northern popular music. Views and memories are shared by Kuusrock’s founder Markku Hänninen, Vesa Ranta from the band Sentenced, doorman legend Jorma Karhumaa, Jarno Mällinen from Radiopuhelimet, Petri Sirviö from Mieskuoro Huutajat, event expert Taina Ronkainen, youth work veteran Paula Kariniemi, 45 Special’s Ilpo and Roope Sulkala, student Ella Huttunen from Madetoja music school and Marlene Hyyppä, expert in Oulu’s underground culture.
The route map is published on the Northern Stories – Oulu2026 website. You can also find the route and stories by scanning the QR code on tiles found in the centre of Oulu. Each story is independent and they can be experienced in any order. The stories can also be found on the above-mentioned website.
The stories on the Sound of the North route are available in Finnish, English, Swedish and easy Finnish. The in-depth interviews are available in Finnish and dubbed in English.
The route will remain on the streets for people to experience and is part of Oulu’s journey towards becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2026.
Northern Stories
“The Sound of the North – tracing the origins of popular music” is the second pilot of the Northern Stories project. The content is produced by Filmbutik Oulu.
The first pilot of the project, The Tales of Tar route, was launched in November 2023 and additional stories have been added recently. The project is being implemented by Oulu Culture Foundation. The aim is to develop new ways of creating several themed routes with user-friendly mobile technology in the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture area.
Highlighting the region’s cultural heritage and offering experiences free of charge strengthens the local identity of residents in their everyday environments and creates tourist attractions. The stories have been mapped and collected together with experts and local residents. The routes will be developed further on the basis of observations and feedback.
The project will end in April 2024, but the routes will remain active. The final report of the project will be published in spring 2024.
Implementer of the project: Oulu Culture Foundation, main financier: Council of Oulu Region
Project implementation period: 1 March 2023–30 April 2024
Apr 3, 2024
The European Capital of Culture 2026 brings us Oulu’s new ARToulu art area, where art will pop up and surprise you in unexpected places. Dozens of installed artworks will change the face of the Oulujoki estuary’s seven city neighborhoods, turning them into interesting and distinctive art areas. Some of the artwork will permanently remain part of the cultural landscape and the art area will continue to evolve even after the European Capital Cultural year.
The artwork for the ARToulu art area will be chosen through an open call for professional visual artists. This call is open to all professional artists living and working in Finland, as well as to artists in residency, particularly visiting from European countries. The deadline for the open call is August 12th, 2024.
The art area hopes to reflect the multiplicity of the visual arts. The selection process will focus on the originality of the artwork and on the creativity of how the artwork is integrated into its environment, including elements of surprise. We welcome applications from all fields of visual art, regardless of materials or techniques. For example, applications can also be made for practices in performance art, community art or sound art.
The Oulu Artists Association (Oulun Taiteilijaseura -63 ry) project is part of the European Capital of Culture Year programme.
Additional info: ARToulu art area
ARToulu in social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550558952821
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artoulu2026/
Apr 3, 2024
The Centre for Cultural Policy Research Cupore explores and evaluates the next Finnish European Capital of Culture – Oulu2026. The English version of the report describing the baseline of the assessment in 2022 has now published on Cupore’s website.
The report shows that expectations for the Oulu2026 cultural programme are high. According to cultural actors in the Oulu2026 area the impression of the of the artistic quality of the programme at the starting point is quite good and citizens are interested in participating in the activities of the ECoC year. The attitude of the decision-makers of the participating municipalities towards the Oulu2026 activities is also positive.
The programme of the Oulu2026 emphasizes co-production methods and wide-ranging cooperation that involve the public. Additionally, most of the projects are planned to be implemented with international partners.
The key characteristics for the Oulu2026 activities include inclusion, participation, building a better community spirit and cooperation. However, according to the results of the baseline report, citizens and decision-makers had different expectations regarding the effects of the ECOC activities on the community. Citizens did not see the connection between Oulu2026 activities and strengthening of the community as broadly as the public officials and decision-makers.
The main goal of Oulu2026, alongside a high-quality cultural programme, is a cultural climate change that means a more open and stronger connection between people and an established rich cultural life in the northern region. The Oulu2026 region consists of Oulu and 39 partner municipalities.
Cupore will carry out research and evaluation project of the Oulu2026 between 2022–2027.
The English version of the baseline report is available here:
Luonila, Mervi, Renko, Vappu, Ruusuvirta, Minna, Sokka, Sakarias, Leppänen, Aino & Okker, Sauli (2024). Towards Oulu2026 – European Capital of Culture. Baseline for the evaluation in 2022. Cupore webpublications 79. Center for Cultural Policy Research Cupore
Additional information:
Senior researcher Mervi Luonila, mervi.luonila@cupore.fi
Read more about the research project: https://www.cupore.fi/en/research/oulu2026-evaluation-research/
