Join us in welcoming Espoo’s Nelli to her new temporary home! Nelli is a bronze sculpture by Kerttu Horila created for the people of Espoo. It was gifted to the City of Espoo by EMMA on the occasion of the city’s 50th anniversary. The sculpture was unveiled in the Espoo district of Haukilahti in spring 2022 and its most recent home was in Kalajärvi’s Saudarkrokur Park. The nomadic sculpture will be relocated regularly, bringing joy to the daily lives of as many Espoo residents as possible. Nelli’s new home is Viapori Square outside Sello Shopping Centre. The location was chosen by Espoo’s Disability Council.

Accessibility and availability of services were prioritized in the choice of Nelli’s new location. Because subsidized mobility support services are limited to a certain number of trips per month, the Disability Council wanted to locate Nelli in a place where disabled people can run several errands simultaneously. 

Speakers at the event:
Reetta Kalajo, EMMA’s Chief Curator
Pirkko Kuusela, Chair of Espoo’s Disability Council
Olli Männikkö, Chair of Espoo’s Elderly Council

Trumpet performance
Markku Känninen

You are cordially invited! The event is open to everyone (weather permitting).

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. Espoo’s Nelli is the museum’s gift to the City of Espoo and its residents on the occasion of the city’s 50th anniversary. Take a selfie with Nelli and share it on social media with the hashtags #espoonnelli @emmamuseum and @espooesbo.