Oulu, Finland—a city just south of the Arctic Circle—is about to become the canvas for something extraordinary. Climate Clock, a permanent public art trail, will launch in June 2026 as part of Oulu’s reign as the European Capital of Culture. This ambitious project blends art, science, and nature to create a striking dialogue on environmental awareness. Seven internationally acclaimed artists will collaborate with scientists and local communities to craft major site-specific works, responding to the region’s unique rhythms, breathtaking landscapes, and urgent climate realities.
In a world that never stops spinning, Climate Clock urges us to pause. Nature has its own time, and this art trail invites us to rediscover it.
Art, Climate, and the Urgency of Now
Oulu is warming four times faster than the global average, making it a crucial site for climate-focused artistic intervention. The Climate Clock artworks will unfold across frozen rivers, dense woodlands, and the Bothnian Bay, immersing visitors in nature’s delicate balance. Each piece will reflect on humanity’s lost connection with the planet, using local materials, scientific insight, and community collaboration to reshape how we experience public space.
Alice Sharp, founder and Artistic Director of Invisible Dust, curates the project. Her expertise in merging environmental science with contemporary art fuels the vision behind Climate Clock. She explains:
“The Climate Clock is ticking, the snow is melting, and we are learning anew what our forebears knew – that time is not ours to command.”
It’s a powerful call to rethink our relationship with time, the environment, and the consequences of a world moving too fast.
Meet the Artists Redefining Public Art
Seven internationally renowned artists will shape Climate Clock, each bringing a unique perspective on nature, science, and human impact. Their works will transform Oulu’s landscape into a living, breathing gallery of environmental storytelling.
Ranti Bam: The Earth’s Memory in Clay
Nigerian-British artist Ranti Bam will craft large-scale ceramic vessels in Yli-Ii, near the River Iijoki. Collaborating with archaeologists and geomorphologists, she explores humanity’s deep-rooted relationship with the earth. Her work draws on local clay, a material both fragile and resilient—much like our connection to the planet.
Antti Laitinen: Sculptures of Air and Water
Finnish artist Antti Laitinen will construct kinetic sculptures in the forests near the Koiteli river rapids. Collaborating with a lichenologist, he incorporates moss and lichen—bioindicators of air quality—to highlight pollution’s invisible impact.
Rana Begum: Sculpting Light and Ice
British-Bangladeshi artist Rana Begum takes inspiration from Oulu’s subarctic light and sea ice formations. Her interactive sculptures, set in the city’s central square, respond to glaciologist Alun Hubbard’s research on melting Arctic glaciers.
Takahiro Iwasaki: Miniatures of Nature’s Architecture
Japanese sculptor Takahiro Iwasaki will create delicate structures inspired by local architecture and the natural water cycle. His collaboration with snow hydrologist Pertti Ala-aho will inform works placed in Ylikiiminki, linking past traditions to present climate challenges.
Gabriel Kuri: The Language of Climate Risk
Mexican-Belgian artist Gabriel Kuri reimagines public spaces in Oulunsalo using risk assessment charts as visual tools to highlight climate dangers. His collaboration with UK-based climate scientist Kevin Anderson transforms data into an urgent artistic statement.
SUPERFLEX: A Landmark for Rising Seas
Danish collective SUPERFLEX will install a new marine landmark in Haukipudas, working with marine biologists and local fishermen. If submerged due to rising sea levels, the sculpture will foster marine biodiversity—an eerie yet hopeful symbol of climate resilience.
Tellervo & Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen: The Most Valuable Clock in the World
This artist duo invites Oulu residents to co-create an interactive clock that captures life’s most precious, timeless moments. Scientific researchers from Lapland’s Arctic Center and Oulu University will collaborate, ensuring this piece remains both poetic and profound.
Why Oulu? Why Now?
The Climate Clock trail isn’t just an art project; it’s a statement on the urgency of climate action. Oulu’s extreme seasonal contrasts—months of darkness, then endless light—make it the perfect location for an artistic exploration of time. Scientists have long studied the region’s dramatic environmental shifts, but now, artists are translating that research into something tangible.
Samu Forsblom, Programme Director of Oulu2026, highlights the collaboration between artists, scientists, and residents:
“All of the international artists have been deeply inspired by their encounters with our community, the unique nature, and local history. These artworks will bring lasting joy and awareness, far beyond 2026.”
A Cultural Legacy That Lasts Beyond 2026
The Climate Clock project doesn’t just aim to leave a mark—it wants to create a permanent shift in how we perceive time, space, and our place on Earth. Managed by international producer Claudia Woolgar and the Oulu2026 team, this initiative embodies the Capital of Culture’s central theme: cultural climate change.
Oulu isn’t just showcasing art—it’s making an environmental statement. And the world should be listening.
When and Where to Experience Climate Clock
📅 Launch Date: June 2026
📍 Location: Across Oulu, Finland – spanning woodland forests, rivers, coastal areas, and urban spaces.
🎟 Public Access: Free
The full trail will become a permanent addition to Oulu’s cultural landscape, available for residents and visitors alike to explore at any time.
Can Art Shift the Climate Conversation?
The Climate Clock reminds us that nature has its own time. While human life speeds up, the Earth has its own rhythm—one that we ignore at our peril. This public art trail invites us to slow down, reflect, and reconnect.
Art has always had the power to provoke, inspire, and ignite change. Oulu’s Climate Clock takes that one step further, turning the landscape itself into an artistic statement on the future of our planet.
Time is ticking. Will we listen?
