Open Arms
Artist Alpo Jaakola
Kaupunginpuutarha, Taka-töölö, Helsinki
Jaakola belongs to those artists, who became well-known in the 60s as an advocate of the new realist avant-garde. Jaakola’s avant-garde works include, among other things, works built with machine parts. He also is known to have made a series of pioneering abstract works in Finland.
The comical family depicted on the bench beckon passers-by to rest a moment in their arms. The sculpture is red granite.
Open Arms was put on show for the Helsinki Festival and was in 1977 acquired to the City of Helsinki’s art collection.