Vuolas vuo light art publication 10.9.2021

Photo: Jussi Pohjavirta / Lapin Kansa 10.9.2021

The flowing flow (Vuolas vuo) can be seen all the way to Kittilä Road
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The city of Rovaniemi's first percentage work of art, Jukka Huitila's Vuolas vuo, was unveiled during the Rovaniemi week in Ylikylä.

Seija Lappalainen Lapin Kansa 10.9.2021

When a work of art was ordered from Jukka Huitila for a multi-purpose building to be built in Ylikylä, Rovaniemi, the artist got acquainted with the empty plot, measured the environment with his eyes and rose to the rampart, which attenuates the noise of Kittiläntie traffic. Shortly thereafter, he received the first drawings from the architectural firm.
- The design language of the ridge began to appeal to me, Huitila says.
This is how the planning of percentage art began for the first time in Rovaniemi. Except that art did not account for a percentage of construction costs.
- I don't even know the first project where this would have been fully realised, Huitila says.
In keeping with the spirit of percent art, he got involved already in the design phase of the building, and was given free rein to place his work inside or outside the building.
The artist wanted the work out so that it wasn’t just the Ilona of the building’s users. He wanted the work to be visible to Kittiläntie, the residents of the area and outdoor enthusiasts.
 
An ambiguous work of light
 
In September 2019, the City of Rovaniemi opened a portfolio search for a work of light art for the Ylikylä multipurpose building. Based on the portfolio, a sketch of the work was ordered from Jukka Huitila, and an order decision was made based on it.

Huitila describes his work as a dissertation that has emerged from the observation of natural events. The artist who moved to Rovaniemi in 2018 has a close relationship with nature and especially river nature.
Vuolas vuo is an ambiguous work that can be reminiscent of a river bed, northern lights, the top of a mountain and a river valley - and like nature, Vuolas vuo is different in daylight, evening twilight and night darkness.
- The work is divided into a day theme and an evening and night theme. Changes tied to sunrise and sunset times closely follow the cycle of the year. In winter, in the camouflage, the evening and night theme is in the main part and the focus changes to the day theme as we go towards summer, the artist describes. The work can be admired from the courtyard of the kindergarten in the Ylikylä multipurpose building; the living work of light art is located on the roof edge of the facade of the building, adapting its shapes.ct in Rovaniemi. Under the name Vuolas vuo, I want to tie it to nature, which I respect and protect.

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Photo: Jussi Pohjavirta / Lapinkansa 10.9.2021