Oulu2026 unveils vision and artists for Climate Clock art trail

The Finnish city of Oulu – set just below the Arctic Circle – is getting ready to be the 2026 European Capital of Culture (along with Trenčín in Slovakia). On Wednesday (12 February), Oulu2026 gave a taste of what’s in store, announcing a cutting-edge art trail with a crucial message for our times. 

“Art is a powerful universal language: the works in Oulu2026’s Climate Clock transform scientific urgency into beautiful and accessible experiences, revealing the profound role of time in our environmental future in ways that science alone cannot,” the project’s curator, Alice Sharp, told Euronews Culture ahead of the announcement.

Climate Clock, set to launch in June 2026, will be a permanent public art trail spread across the municipality of Oulu, one of the world’s northernmost cities. The trail will combine art, science, and nature, offering a powerful reflection on the changing environment, with a special focus on the alarming speed at which the region is warming – four times faster than the global average.

The art trail will feature seven internationally renowned artists, each bringing their own unique perspective to the project. Including the likes of Rana Begum, SUPERFLEX and Antti Laitinen, the artists will collaborate with scientists and local communities to create site-specific works that engage with specific elements of Oulu’s striking natural landscapes, including its frozen rivers, extensive woodlands, and the Bothnian Bay.

Sharp, who is also founder of the UK-based environmental art organisation Invisible Dust, believes that art can provide a powerful space for reflection on climate change. 

“For Oulu2026, Climate Clock brings together artists and scientists to explore how we, as humans, connect to nature’s rhythms in the age of climate change – and how we grapple with its contradictions,” Sharp told Euronews Culture. “While climate scientists like James Hansen warn of the hottest January on record, researchers in Oulu observe heavier snowfall due to the melting of Arctic ice. Through Climate Clock, I am fostering collaboration between artists and scientists to enhance public understanding of these complex changes.”

The chosen artists have been selected not only for their global acclaim but also for their willingness to engage with the scientific research that informs their work. 

British-Nigerian artist Ranti Bam’s large-scale ceramic vessels in Yli-Ii, for example, symbolise the fragile bond between humans and the environment, exploring the resilience and vulnerability that we share with clay. 

Antti Laitinen, who hails from Finland and whose work will take shape by the Koiteli river rapids, is also focused on such themes of fortitude and fragility. With the help of lichenologist experts, Laitinen’s kinetic sculptures will incorporate moss and lichen – bioindicators of air quality – exploring how pollution impacts the delicate balance of local ecosystems.

British-Bangladeshi artist Rana Begum’s series of interactive sculptures will be displayed in Oulu’s central square, where the interplay of light and sea ice will be a central theme. Working alongside glaciologist Alun Hubbard, Begum’s sculptures will shine a spotlight on the alarming rate at which Arctic glaciers are melting, raising awareness of the urgent need for action in response to climate change.

For Takahiro Iwasaki, a Japanese artist whose work will feature in Ylikiiminki, the focus will be on miniature forms inspired by local architecture and the region’s annual Tar Festival. Iwasaki has worked closely with snow hydrologist Pertti Ala-aho to develop a delicate sculpture that reflects the beauty and fragility of nature in the face of warming temperatures.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Kuri’s thought-provoking work will be installed in Oulunsalo, using risk assessment charts to communicate the dangers of climate change. In collaboration with UK-based climate scientist Kevin Anderson, Kuri’s piece will offer a stark visual representation of the urgent need to address environmental issues.

SUPERFLEX, a Danish artist group, will focus on the impact of rising sea levels with a new marine landmark along the harbour of Haukipudas. Developed in consultation with local fishermen and marine biologists, the sculpture will highlight the importance of preserving marine biodiversity in a time of climate crisis.

Finally, Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen will invite residents of Oulu to participate in creating ‘The Most Valuable Clock in the World’. This participatory artwork will feature a clock that captures moments from Oulu’s annual natural cycle, allowing local people to define what “value”’ truly means in a world obsessed with consumerism.

In the spirit of Oulu2026’s theme of “cultural climate change”, the Climate Clock will serve as a permanent fixture, inviting reflection and dialogue on environmental concerns while fostering a deeper connection to the natural world. The work will debut in June 2026 before touring throughout Oulu municipality and, together with all the other works along the trail, it will eventually be part of the Oulu City art collection.

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“Climate Clock is one of the most significant productions of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture year, reflecting on the nature of time and how our fast pace of life has drifted out of nature’s rhythms in Northern Finland, embodying our core theme of ‘cultural climate change’,” Samu Forsblom, Programme Director of Oulu2026, explained to Euronews Culture. “This theme is about fostering a permanently richer cultural life, bringing people together across borders, and expanding the ways we think, understand, and engage with one another.”

Find out more about Oulu2026 here.