Joutua / To hurry up

The piece consists of three totem-like stone columns. Their smooth surfaces and sharp corners are reminiscent of the facets in Cubist paintings. Arched projections and organic-looking depressions always end at corners and edges, giving the piece a restless appearance. The eye cannot move smoothly across the surface; instead, it is forced to refocus continuously. It is as if the work is an ordinary dream which is made restless and transformed into a tormenting nightmare by the sharp forms and strange figures.

Veikko Hirvimäki received first prize in the sculpture competition for the expansion of the Parliament building arranged in 1979. The sculpture was unveiled in 1981 and it is made of Jyväskylä black granite. The work doesn’t belong to the City of Helsinki’s art collection, which is managed by HAM.