The Supporting Act

The artwork in Ala-Malmi Park is a reminder of how important we are to one another. Artist Ninni Luhtasaari’s The Supporting Act consists of four figures supporting each other in the midst of movement. The key themes of the artwork are the connection between people, touch, and mutual support.

“Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on now and then, and each of us is capable of supporting others,” explains Ninni Luhtasaari, shedding light on the central ideas behind the artwork.

Ninni Luhtasaari has been working with fountain motifs for many years, and The Supporting Act is her first monumental sculpture for an outdoor setting.

When planning her artwork, Luhtasaari spent time in Ala-Malmi Park, talking with the people who use it.

“I asked what they would like to see here, and the responses I got included Adonises or dolphins. That stuck with me at the conceptual stage, and perhaps it influenced the design of the artwork. The welcoming and playful atmosphere of the park also contributed to how the idea for the artwork came about,” Luhtasaari notes.

In the artwork, water sprays from the fingers of the two figures on top. The title, The Supporting Act, refers both to performers that warm up the crowd for the main star and to our ability to help and carry each other – to support our fellow creatures. Luhtasaari seeks to remind us how important we are to each other.

The artwork also incorporates warm humour and features references to both the spectacular fountains of historical parks and the decorative fountains familiar from domestic gardens.

Ninni Luhtasaari (b. 1987) is a visual artist and musician who lives and works in Tampere. Her artworks feature soft, curious figures marvelling at their own bodies. Luhtasaari works primarily with ceramics and embroidery, and the artwork in Ala-Malmi Park is her first sculpture made of poured concrete.

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