Jukka Lappalainen

Rautavaara (1954)

There are several buildings in Jukka Lappalainen’s beautiful garden in Rautavaara, three of which are literally floor-to-ceiling – or ceiling-to-floor – full of objects that he collects. It is impossible to even start listing what he has collected and compiled in about 30 years, but we know one thing: the collection started with a single issue of the magazine Uusi Kuvalehti from 1954. Lappalainen started collecting things in 1993, which means that in less than 30 years, he has amassed a huge number of different artefacts related to human life. The various items that are “preserved in the museum” live in perfect harmony with his works of art, most of which are made of wood. Figures welded from engines, parts and tools decorate the outdoor spaces.  

Lappalainen was a farmer and a sales assistant before he retired. He has also made an exact copy of the ‘Laufmaschine’, which was a two-wheeled vehicle, a forerunner of the bicycle, developed by Karl von Drais about 200 years ago. There was a need for this vehicle as a lot of horses had been eaten due to food shortages. Lappalainen built the copy using the dimensions he outlined from a single image in a magazine.  

Text and photos: Jari Ruotsalainen Translation: Kirsti Nurmela-Knox

ITE Art surveys / Northern Savonia 2020–2022