Espoo Museum of Modern Art
Espoo’s Nelli has moved to Saudarkrokur park in Kalajärvi
Espoo’s Nelli, a bronze sculpture by Kerttu Horila created for the people of Espoo, can now be found in Saudarkrokur park! The sculpture was originally gifted to the City of Espoo by EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art on the occasion of the city’s 50th anniversary. Nelli was unveiled in the Espoo district of Haukilahti in spring 2022. The nomadic sculpture will be relocated regularly, bringing joy to the daily lives of as many Espoo residents as possible.
Nelli’s new home was celebrated in an open event on Thursday 25 May in Saudarkrokur Park. Her new location was chosen by the Espoo Youth Council.
“It was a great pleasure for the Espoo Youth Council to be involved in choosing Nelli’s new location. We feel that public art greatly enhances the appeal of outdoor spaces, and we wanted to foster regional equality by selecting a location that didn’t host any previous art projects. Espoo’s Nelli is an emblem that unites all the residents of Espoo. Bringing her to the northern suburbs unites the whole of Espoo,” describes the Espoo Youth Council.
Espoo’s Nelli is a motherly, warm-hearted canine-human hybrid who holds a puppy under one arm. The sculpture is part of Kerttu Horila’s Animal Humans and Human Animals series, which features imaginative, storybook characters fusing together human and animal features.
EMMA’s public art programming brings a significant part of EMMA’s collection within reach of residents all around Espoo. Take a selfie with Nelli and share it on social media with the hashtags #espoonnelli @emmamuseum and @espooesbo.
More about the artwork
EMMA celebrates the 50th anniversary of Espoo by gifting a public sculpture – Espoo’s Nelli by Kerttu Horila unveiled on Toppelundinranta beach
Espoo's Nelli is a birthday present from EMMA to 50-year-old Espoo. Every year the sculpture will be moved to a new location, bringing joy to neighbourhoods throughout Espoo.
