A building planned to be demolished turns into a culture space overflowing with art in the heart of Tampere

A former office building by lake Pyhäjärvi in Ratinanranta, will be transformed into an experimental art-center for the coming summer attracting thousands of residents and visitors for surprising and immersive art experiences. The exhibition Muutos.art Tampere will explore the relationship between people and the environment through art. The call for artists is open until 29 March.

At the heart of the project are works of art by dozens of artists. In addition, the former three-storey office building to be demolished, will host workshops and other activities over the summer. Muutos.art Tampere summer exhibition will open to the public in early June and will run until the end of August at Voimakatu 11.

Different forms of art will be combined in the 3 800 square meter space, and the overall theme of the exhibition will revolve around sustainable development. The environmental aspect was a natural starting point to plan the exhibition.

"An interesting and diverse artistic entity will be formed around environmental topics, an important theme, which will hopefully provoke thought and discussion among visitors," says Yiorgos Slunga, the project's art coordinator from Upeart.

"On the first floor, we have outlined two gallery spaces, which will be allocated to art associations and individual artists. On the second and third floor, the main theme of the exhibition will come to life as the spaces are filled with immersive and site-specific artworks that reflect on the reuse and recycling of materials. We also plan to create a large community artwork, that all visitors will be able to participate in. Summer events are planned for the courtyard area as well."

The Pirkanmaa Creative Producers Association LuoTu, with the support of Operation Pirkanmaa, implemented the first demolition art house in the center of Tampere in 2023. Pinni47 offered not only a surprising art experience, but also a networking space that employed artists from the region. The new Ratinanranta property provides a platform for new experiences, and it will definitely create fresh, surprising ideas.

"This type of implementation is organic, meaning that we will only see what is created and what happens on Voimakatu as the project grows into its final form," says Slunga.

An open call for artists for the exhibition is underway

The open call for artists for Muutos.art Tampere exhibition is open from the 6th until 29th March. Artists are continuously selected for the program, even before the closing date of the open call.

Artists over the age of 18, living or working on regular basis in Finland, can apply. The applicants can be from different art disciplines, and work either alone, in pairs or as a group. During the selection process, an emphasis will be put on the artistic quality and the possible attachment to the Tampere Region. Participants will be paid an artist's fee and reimbursed for the cost of materials and their transport.

The call for artists and the call for volunteers for the exhibition is open at www.muutos.art.

Muutos.art is a concept developed by Upeart that explores the activation of changing urban spaces through art and culture. The project is made possible by the City of Tampere and its regional cultural development project Operaatio Pirkanmaa. Upeart was selected as the operator of Ratinanranta demolition house through an open call process.