Tyhjä hauta / Empty Grave

As they had requested, The Didrichsen Art Museum founders Gunnar and Marie-Louise Didrichsen had their ashes sprinkled into the sea by the museums coastline. The grave now decorates the sculpture Empty Grave in Siikamäki.

Arvo Siikamäki began his career in the 1960s as a politically active young radical. Over the years he developed his oeuvre from early surrealistic theatre involvements to more abstract sculptural works. His reduced characters, solid forms and traces of movement are all special trade marks of his later works. Early sculptural works were of bronze and aluminium, but his later sculptural works also included materials such as stone and marble. Empty Grave is made from grey granite measuring 88 x 68 cm.

On top of the Empty Grave, which is of minimalistic representation, sits smoothly refined stones. The base of the work is constructed from various stone blocks from a rectangular-shaped burial chamber. The stones infront of the standing blocks lie flat on the ground: the grave is open and empty. The ruggedness of the stone’s surface and archaic heavy forms give the work it’s monumental feel.

The work belongs to the collections of the Didrichsen Art Museum.

See also Siikamäki’s Lepotauko 2 (Rest) in Siltamäki, Helsinki.