The Contemporaries

Lasse Juuti’s The Contemporaries explores the sense of time. In the work, you may see clocks, bicycles, and a pump trolley familiar from the railways. According to the artist, the brothers Now and Soon, with their moustaches shaped like clock hands, are turning the time forward by riding the pump trolley, stretching up to the ceiling of the underpass as they work. Sense of time is a malleable and even a fragmented experience: sometimes time flies by, sometimes it seems to drag on.

On the opposite wall, a piece resembling coltsfoot has sprouted on the wall. Upon closer inspection it’s possible to recognise a historical penny-farthing bicycle turned upside down. Its large wheel is positioned in front of the sun, and the figure riding the bike is keeping the sun – and thus time – moving. According to the artist, the work refers, among other things, to a sundial, which tells the time through the movements of shadows and light.

Lasse Juuti (b. 1990) is known for his playful works stretching the boundaries of painting. Juuti’s pieces often break away from the traditional flat and rectangular form of painting, turning into three-dimensional combinations of painting and sculpture. The works are based on daily observations, a strong sense of rhythm, and references to the architectural environment.
OmaStadi is Helsinki’s way of implementing participatory budgeting. It means that city residents can suggest ideas and vote on how residential areas are developed. The OmaStadi proposal to bring art to the Oulunkylä station underpass came from the Oulunkylä residents in 2021. The proposal received 464 votes and has now been realised.

Lasse Juuti’s work was curated by HAM Helsinki Art Museum, and it was created in cooperation with the City of Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure Division and Urban Environment Division. The work will be added to the City of Helsinki’s art collection, which is managed and curated by HAM.