The exact location and selected artist of the artwork, set to be completed next summer, will be announced in the spring.
The public vote for this year’s Oulu2026 mural location has concluded and the winner is Toppila, which received approximately twelve percent of the votes. The wish to bring art to the growing Toppila area to enliven the environment was a recurring theme among voters. Kiiminki received the second most votes, and Kaukovainio came in third.
The mural will be realized in Toppila as part of the Oulu2026 cultural program this summer. The exact location of the upcoming artwork will be announced later in the spring.
Oulu2026 murals have been created annually on the way towards Oulu’s European Capital of Culture year in 2026. From 2022 to 2025, the citizens of Oulu have had the opportunity to participate in the mural location votes. 2026, the mural will be created in Oulu city center.
In previous years, the artists for Oulu2026 murals have been selected through international open calls. This year, the artwork will be created by a Japanese artist selected later in the spring. In the Capital of Culture year 2026, the aim is to reciprocally organize an artist exchange for a Finnish artist to Japan. In the Capital of Culture year 2026, the artist search will be targeted to Finland.
A series of murals enlivens Oulu’s urban environment
Last year, Myllyoja won the vote, and Italian visual artist Fabio Petani created the piece Ferrous Sulfate, Achillea Millefolium & Lathyrus Palustris, inspired by the Oulujoki river and local nature themes. In 2023, the abstract mural Au pas de la porte, completed in Tuira, was created by Canadian visual artist Ilana Pichon. In 2022, British artist Eloise Gillow painted the mural Turning Point in Rajakylä, inspired by a birch forest landscape.
During the European Capital of Culture year in 2026, various activities, such as art tours and competitions, will be organized around all the murals. After completion, the artworks will be transferred to the collections of the Oulu Art Museum.
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