Flattened Fool

Surrounded by a flock of small winged creatures, a figure cast in stainless steel stands by the canal fence. Flattened Fool by sculptor Pekka Kauhanen is located in Vinsentinaukio in Kalasatama. Kauhanen passed away in February 2020, and he did not see his work installed. Sculptor Matti Peltokangas, caster Arto Hyyryläinen, and visual artist Outi Pienimäki completed the installation on his behalf.

Kauhanen was never too keen to explain the meaning behind his work and Instead, he encouraged viewers to make their own interpretations. Outi Pienimäki described Flattened Fool as “an image of a person who, even when battered by life, looks forward and sees good in the world. It is an image of faith in the sustaining power of life, an image of hope that tomorrow everything will be better”. According to Pienimäki, the work offers a warm embrace to a poor soul down of their luck.

Pekka Kauhanen (1954-2020) was one of the most prolific sculptors and public art creators in Finland. He viewed the world with a sharp yet empathic gaze, and always with a twinkle in his eye. His original, slightly misshapen figures display magical realism and humour but also tragedy, one example being the National Memorial to the Winter War, which was installed in Helsinki in 2017. Kauhanen’s works capture a range of emotions, from happiness to sorrow and from disappointment to the power that drives us forward in life.

The work belongs to the City of Helsinki’s art collection, which is managed and curated by HAM.