Omfalomiini

The City Art Museum has commissioned Gun Holmstöm (b. 1964) to produce a work for Rekipellonpuisto in Southern Mellunmäki. The figure will be in the centre of the triangular park, on a small hill surrounded by sand paths.

Gun Holmström’s interactive art work Omfalomiini is situated at Vesala’s Rekipellonpuisto (roughly translatable as sledge field park) at southern border of Mellunmäki. The park is triangular with a sand path at it’s perimeter. The stainless steel work gleams raised on the top of a small mound, from which the artist designed three freely-formed stone paths. “Omfalos” comes from Greek meaning “navel or hub”, indicating the centre of the world. In ancient times in the oracle temples Omfalos were important objects, which were used by believers to make contact the gods.

The Omfalomiini work received the II Vuosaari art prize in 2003. The competition board describes the work as a strangely captivating piece in which passers-by become part of the piece as a performance and which offers a new concept of publc art. Holmström himself created the mixed media piece which has the character of both sculpture and sound work. The mirroring effect of the work reflects the surrounding environment’s colours and light and movements. Inside the art work is a hidden optical sound sensor which reacts to shadows and the movement of hands. In the dark the sculpture remains silent. The work belongs to the collections of the Helsinki Art Museum.

Gun Holmström is an internationally well-known artist, who studied in Turku, Finland. He is a specialised video artist but also creates sculptures and installations.