Herbarium

The colourful Herbarium by Kustaa Saksi (b. 1975) is installed in Etu-Töölö general upper secondary school. The jacquard tapestry with a width of more than 11 metres is located in the entrance lobby of the building.

Saksi has been inspired by botanical imagery in educational paintings from the late 19th and 20th centuries and brings the influences to the present day. The traditional educational picture boards in schools morph into pixelated imagery of the digital era. This way, Saksi is building a connection between school tradition and the history of the school building in Etu-Töölö. The building was completed in 1930 and was designed by architects Yrjö Sadeniemi and Hjalmar Åberg. The building’s first resident was Helsingin Koelyseo, which was a state secondary school. Later on the school became Töölön yhteislyseo, the Töölö upper secondary school. The architecture and indoor spaces of cultural-historical value have now been renovated, and the indoor wall and ceiling paintings with their antique imagery and geometric patterns are once again highlighted.

Kustaa Saksi is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Amsterdam. Saksi’s visual storytelling through textile art and graphic design moves between two-dimensional surfaces and spatial installations. Identifiable natural shapes, surreal views and psychedelic patterns meet in Saksi’s art, creating lush, visual and often kaleidoscopic worlds when combined. In his earlier work, Saksi examined themes such as sleep states, migraines and visual hallucinations.

The work was produced under the Percent for Art programme, and it belongs to the collection of the City of Helsinki, managed and curated by HAM.