“Alongside music, visual art is an important part of Fuuga’s diverse cultural offering, adding another dimension to the visitor experience. The artworks, displayed both indoors and outdoors, engage in dialogue with the building’s distinctive architecture and the surrounding urban landscape. Visitors can experience the art when attending an event at Fuuga, during a visit to one of its restaurants, or simply as they pass by,” says Riina Kotilainen, Senior Curator at WAM Museum of Contemporary Art.
Art Welcomes Visitors Outdoors
In front of the main entrance stands Torch, a sculpture by Terho Sakki dating from 1975. The work is familiar to local residents from its former location in Itsenäisyydenaukio (Independence Square). Rising upwards, the bronze sculpture consists of three wing-like elements. It symbolises the torch of independence, with jets of water forming its flames. The work can also be interpreted as a symbol of artistic freedom and the power of knowledge to illuminate, as championed during the Age of Enlightenment.
On the roof terrace next to the main entrance stands Ensemble (2026), a work by the artist duo Grönlund–Nisunen. The installation consists of column-like elements made of mirror-polished stainless steel, which rotate around their vertical axes. The artists liken them to vertical wind turbines. Wind is integral to the kinetic installation: it sets the elements in motion and creates ever-changing reflections across their surfaces. The artists drew inspiration both from the music that fills the halls and from the flowing waters of the Aura River. Grönlund–Nisunen was selected to create Fuuga’s outdoor artwork through a portfolio-based selection process in 2023.
Interior Works Explore Emotion, Light and the Movement of Water
Johanna Suonpää has created a three-part sculptural ensemble for Fuuga’s interior spaces. The works are located in the open space of the main foyer on the second floor and on the walls of the musicians’ lounge on the third floor. The starting point for the ensemble is Resonating Heart, in the musicians’ lounge, which evokes the warmth of the heart and the intensity of human emotion. Legato, in the same space, develops the theme further, while Echoes, in the main foyer, echoes the flowing lines of the music centre’s architecture through its organic forms.
The works bring together the movement of flowing water, the shimmer of light, the bright ripples on the Aura River’s surface and its deeper, darker layers. These effects are achieved through the interplay of polished and patinated bronze surfaces. Johanna Suonpää was selected to create Fuuga’s indoor artwork through an open art competition in 2023.
All the works form part of the City of Turku Art Collection, managed by WAM Museum of Contemporary Art.
An incredible music centre next door to WAM
Turku Music Centre Fuuga
Culture is thriving in Turku. The new cultural hub on the banks of the Aura River offers an unparalleled range of art and experiences.