CITIES - sculptures and land art

Kemijärvi

About ten years after the unveiling in 1990 opening the arctic circle has seen the construction of a new music school on an adjacent location. The lawn on which it stands has been leveled now. At first it was placed on two mounds so that the snow would not cover the lower part of the sculpture. But they disturbed the effect of the reclining form and the curves being taken up in the landscape. Lucien den Arend contended that the actual level of the snow varies and that the sculpture like all other objects is subjected to constant change. it would be of no use to try to anticipate a momentary snow level., so he suggested to make a more gradual slope. On the previous page the mounds were connected by filling in the space between them - leaving the lower area along a contoured terrace so the wind would blow snow there and extend the time that the sculpture's foothold would remain visible. With the building of the Kemijärvi Music School, the slope has now been made even more gradual, which is much better.

opening the arctic circle (avautuva napapiiri) - stainless steel - 2000x354x354cm - Kemijärvi culture center (kulttuurikeskus) FI photo © Mika Pohjantähti

next