An installation for Hopealaakso Daycare Centre

The installation comprising three pieces by Leena Kangaskoski (born 1982) is located in Daycare Centre Hopealaakso in Kruunuvuorenranta. The daycare centre was designed by architect agency AFKS.

Kangaskoski based her art pieces on the history of Hopealaakso: The area – named ‘Silver Valley’ in Finnish – was home to a silver mine in late 18th century, and many minerals have been discovered in the area aside from silver, such as chalcopyrite, zinc pyrite, calcite, galena and sphalerite.

The work Copper Mound Stash is located in the shaft of light between the building’s two floors. The work is made with glazed ceramics and built of shapes opening downwards, like boulders that seem ancient and peaceful when viewed from above. Inside, these boulders reveal the slow process of mineralisation and change that has lasted several million years.

The piece Shooting Star Jelly is on the hall window. The moment after melting and blending has been captured in the glass, reminiscent of solidified lava in stone.

The work Sand Grain Glow consists of several glass shapes mouth-blown into moulds. The mineral deposit bursting out of the wall reminds onlookers of slowly crystallising geological marvels. Glass is mostly made of very fine grains of sand that melt in high heat and start to glow in light.

Kangaskoski’s pieces bring a throw-back to the last centuries’ local history into the daycare centre, but also parallel our day-to-day conception of time with geological time.

The work was produced under the Percent for Art programme, and it belongs to the collection of the City of Helsinki, managed and curated by HAM.