Sanginkontu art trails in the riverside forests – a cultural route
Rivers flow in time and space. They connect villages to the world and big cities to the countryside. People and stories come and go, moving from one place to another.
A network of artworks, Sanginkontu art trails, is forming on the banks of the Oulujoki and Sanginjoki rivers and in the nearby forests. You will soon be able to find works by environmental artists in this enchanting environment that reverberates the area’s cultural heritage, its memories and stories intertwined with the artists’ interpretations. Each work of art is designed with respect for the area’s spirit, nature, history and people. Villagers were also involved in the implementation of the works.
The works are part of the Oulu2026 cultural programme. They are designed to have a ten-year life cycle, so they will remain in place to delight visitors to the area even after the European Capital of Culture events. The dedicated members of the Sanginsuu-Lapinkangas-Sanginjoki Village Association, together with Sanginkontu Association, will maintain the works.
The forest along the Kiekonlenkki hiking trail, Sanginsuu village
In summer 2025, sculptures, installations and a sound work are placed in the Sanginsuu forests, which are popular among outdoor enthusiasts. The artists are François Blosseville (assisted by Johanna Häiväoja), Pia Hentunen, Felicia Honkasalo, Macu Makkonen & Jesse Kitinoja, Jussi Ruusulampi and a work group Laitinen-Hentunen-school children.
1. Pet Cemetery
The audio work starts at the pet cemetery. Find a comfortable spot or take a walk along the paths in the cemetery and let the voice-over guide you.
Why do some animals have names, a grave and a place in our hearts, while others are completely forgotten? Who do we call a friend, and who do we call a foe? The soundscape invites you to reflect on these questions and think about how the boundaries of remembering and forgetting shape our understanding of the world.
You can listen to the work with headphones in the cemetery and along the trail, and you can download it to your phone.
PET CEMETERY, audio work, 33 minutes, Felicia Honkasalo (2025)
2. River Dragon
This ‘ancient relic’ was found in the forest and named River Dragon by the pupils at Sanginsuu School. The children brought the dragon to life through colours and stories in a workshop led by community artist Pia Hentunen. They worked on the wooden sculpture, which was carved with a chainsaw by Aimo Laitinen.
RIVER DRAGON, wooden sculpture, Aimo Laitinen (2020); paintings by Sanginsuu school children with artist Pia Hentunen (2023)
3. Longing
Messages of love and longing for deceased pets are preserved in the marbles of the sculpture. Artist Pia Hentunen talks about her work: “My art often deals with the communication and connection between different species. Pets are hugely important to people. Also the wild animals in our environment give meaning to people’s everyday lives. This cross-species love is visible in the pet cemetery and has also inspired the content of my work.” These messages were collected and preserved during the workshops with volunteers.
LONGING, sculpture, Pia Hentunen, stainless steel, Yakisugi-treated wood, steel wire, marbles and luminescent pigment (2025)
4. Is anybody home?
Gigantic cones with small holes are suspended between trees and rest on stones, resembling the nests of some unknown creature. Is this a hopeful fantasy about what people’s dwellings and relationship with nature might be like in the future – or are the structures inhabited by a species that comes after humans?
The cones serve as a reminder to visitors of a seed extraction plant that used to be located in the area and offered jobs to young people in the community.
The sculptures are made of spruce and aspen logs and comprise about a thousand hand-carved aspen scales. Local people were invited to participate in carving the aspen scales.
IS ANYBODY HOME?, installation, Macu Makkonen and Jesse Kitinoja, spruce and aspen, natural stone (2025)
5. Spirit of the Forest
Visitors walking along the path in the middle of the forest will come across some wooden eggs. It is the giant nest of an unknown animal. Some eggs are ready to hatch. We may have stepped into a prehistoric period, or another world entirely. What animal or creature might hatch from these eggs?
The eggs are in different sizes, with the largest having a diameter of 1,4 metres. The nest is made of roots and branches of various sizes collected from the surrounding area.
SPIRIT OF THE FOREST, environmental art, François Blosseville, wood, branches, metal frames (2025)
6. Rapids Pilot
Jussi Ruusulampi’s sculpture depicts a figure navigating rapids in a tar boat. The Port of Oulu used to be one of the largest tar exporters in the world. Most of the tar was produced in Kainuu, from where it was transported westward along rivers to be sold in Oulu. Local rivermen, or rapids pilots, were hired to guide the boats through the treacherous sections of the rapids. The sculpture is made of scrap metal: the boat from an old aluminium water tank and the tar drums from oil drums. The frame for the figure is constructed from an iron tube. The piece has been welded and screwed together. The surfaces have been covered with a roofing sheet and painted with spray paint.
RAPIDS PILOT, sculpture, Jussi Ruusulampi, scrap metal, spray paint (2025)
The bank of the River Oulujoki, Sanginsuu village
The artist couple Kati Leinonen and Tuomas Mujunen will install their work The Flow of time at the boat launch site on River Oulujoki in late autumn 2025. Artist Eero Markuksela has built an installation on the forested slope at the Sanginsuu parish centre.
7. The Flow of Time (not yet ready)
On the banks of the Oulu River, at the Sanginsuu boat launch site, Tuomas Mujunen’s and Kati Leinonen’s installation The Flow of Time will be installed, leading you through the lives and memories of people along the river. The work will be completed in late autumn or spring 2026.
8. Pavilion of the Crane’s Flight
The pavilion, sheltered on the forested slope, overlooks the Oulujoki River. The pavilion is accessible through a grove and the wooden gate. Visitors are invited to enter and take a seat on the bench. The pavilion offers a place of calm, from which visitors can watch the moon, the stars, the northern lights and the surrounding landscape of fields and rivers. Visual artist Eero Markuksela has created this environmental art as a place for visitors to immerse themselves in their thoughts and visions.
PAVILION OF THE CRANE’S FLIGHT, environmental art, Eero Markuksela, wood, recycled roof tiles (2025)
Pilpajärvi lean-to shelter, Lapinkangas
The monumental Picture Stone will be created by artist Kai Ruohonen together with local people at the Pilpajärvi lean-to shelter along the tar route in Lapinkangas.
9. Picture Stone
Kai Ruohonen’s monumental Picture Stone, created in collaboration with the local people, will be installed at the Pilpajärvi lean-to. The residents of the area gave suggestions, from which the artist has reduced the tribal sign of the Lapinkangas. The sign carved into the stone tells the story of the tar rowers of the Oulu River, and the sign also refers to prehistoric rock paintings. When carved into the stone, the tribal sign will remain for thousands of years, and the color in the engraving groove can be refilled with red ochre. Life in the area continues.
PICTURE STONE, environmental art, Kai Ruohonen and residents of the Lapinkangas area, stone, iron oxide (red ochre), 2025
Sanginjoki village: Loppula nature path and Youth House yard
Satu Suvanto‘s work Huoma (Note) was opened in the old forest ranger’s barn at Loppula Nature House in November 2024. Satu Pietilä filmed a documentary video at the Seating Stone, which you are invited to watch seated on the log stools carved by Aimo Laitinen. A work by Kari Viinikangas, Satu Pietilä, Karita Heikkinen and Riitta Johanna Laitinen documenting the history of the village will be available to view at the Youth Club house.
10. Seating Stone
The Seating Stone, a boulder shaped by the Ice Age, has been an important resting and meeting place in Sanginjoki for generations. Children liked to take a break here on their way to and from school, and those on the way to bring cows home from the nearby meadows could stop to rest on it. Declarations of love have also been made on the Seating Stone over the decades. Satu Pietilä collected memories of the Seating Stone on video, and Aimo Laitinen carved the log stools for people to sit and listen to the stories.
SEATING STONE, documentary video, duration 7 minutes, Satu Pietilä; log stools, Aimo Laitinen (2024)
11. Huoma
The hay barn once belonged to the forest rangers’s farmyard and had an important role – to protect food for people and animals. Now, under its shelter, fairy-tale-like snowflowers and root-like shapes rain down from the ceiling, reflecting the thoughts of villagers and friends of the Sanginjoki forest on the surrounding nature and the heritageof the forest rangers.
‘Huoma‘ refers to protection, care, safety and noticing, all themes that came up in the artist’s conversations with participants during the creation process. The texts were collected from villagers and friends of the Sanginjoki forest in community art workshops held in 2024.
HUOMA, environmental art, Satu Suvanto, old barn, wood, concrete, ceramics (2024).
12. Long live Sanginjoki!
Sanginjoki is a unique village on the Sanginjoki River in Oulu.Tradition, musical talent and community spirit are highly valued in the village. The wooden bench, is decorated with engravings that depict momentous events in the village’s history. The significant historical events and places featured on the documentary information board attached to the bench were suggested by villagers.
LONG LIVE SANGINJOKI!, information board, Satu Pietilä, Karita Heikkinen, Riitta Johanna Laitinen and Veera Heikkinen; wooden bench, Kari Viinikangas (2024)
The organisers of the Sanginkontu art trails
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