In Kontimo's previous work Nature (2013), passersby were asked to activate their mental images of their relationship with nature. In Härmälänranta, the text sections will become part of the low fence surrounding the meadow. Photographer: Henriikka Kontimo

The winner of the Härmälänranta participatory art competition in Tampere, Finland, has been chosen. Proposal named Concert by visual artist Henriikka Kontimo will be implemented as part of the INNATURE project, in connection with the creation of a meadow in Aaretti Nieminen Park. The Concert combines site-specific art, biodiversity and community-based activities in an exceptionally subtle and thought-provoking way.

The Concert is a text-based, participatory spatial work. Thematically it deals with the sound world of nature as a builder of community, identity and memories. The work makes visible – and imaginable – those sounds that the human ear does not normally hear: the quiet sounds of plants, insects and soil or those outside the human hearing range. The texts of the work ask the viewer to stop, imagine and build an imaginary concert experience in their minds – an ode to the place of nature and its diversity.

The focus of implementation is a fence protecting the growth of a meadow located in the area. Poetic and fact-based texts are painted, printed or engraved on the horizontal boards of the fence surrounding the meadow. The form responds sensitively to the conditions of the place and emphasizes the processual character of site-specific art. The long horizontal text surface offers new possibilities for reading, movement and the experientiality of the work. The texts will partly change during the life cycle of the work, which makes the Concert a living piece that changes over time.

The jury justified the selection, among other things, by the expressive strength of the work, its ability to open up bold perspectives on the relationship between humans and nature, and its potential to imagine new futures. The work is feasible in a sensitive meadow environment and integrates naturally into the co-creation principle of ​​the INNATURE project, being built around the work during the project. Kontimo's work includes workshops, discussions, and performative elements, which explore, among other things, the relationship between nature and humans, sound memories, listening, darkness, naming, and the ways in which different species produce and experience sound. Residents, different age groups, and project stakeholders participate in the activities, and some workshops also utilize experts from different fields.

The artist has strong experience in community work and in the international art scene. Kontimo's personal relationship with Härmälänranta and the everyday life of the area brings a special local sensitivity and commitment to the work. The Concert will take place in 2026–2029, and the activities built around it aim to have long-term effects: strengthening local identity, increasing community feeling and supporting new ways of perceiving nature as part of everyday urban life.

INNATURE is a four-year research project coordinated by the University of Tampere and funded by Horizon EU, implementing nature-based solutions in five different European cities. The project aims to co-develop new practices to increase biodiversity in a way that is also beautiful and sustainable.

Kontimo's work was selected as the winner after a public art jury held in Härmälänranta in April, where four finalists presented their proposals and were discussed. INNATURE thanks all the finalists and people who participated in the art jury!

Please find attached the procurement decision, published May 8th 2026.

More info: katja.maununaho@tuni.fi