TRIBE, 2024
Polished and sandblasted acid-resistant steel, patinated copper, patinated bronze, painted aluminum, and light
size 800 x 160 x 200 cm
Pilske's water basin, Kansanvallankatu, Kerava
At the center of Vesa-Pekka Rannikko's "Tribe" is nature. The eight-meter-tall sculpture connects with water in Pilske’s stormwater basin, which flows through wetlands into the nearby Kerava River. The artist is inspired by water as a living element that provides a habitat for numerous animal and plant species. The environment of the Kerava Manor, the flora and fauna of the river valley, and the residential area being built among them were all important considerations for Rannikko's design. All species depicted in the sculpture can be found in the area, particularly in the nature of the Kerava River.
A curled leaf of the common reed winds decoratively around the sculpture. Typically invisible, round-shaped green algae plankton have attached themselves to the sculpture's plant elements. Tall reeds arch around the robust bulrushes, forming an ornamental protective structure. Three species of reed-dwelling birds—sedge warbler, reed bunting, and common redstart—perch among the reeds. The common reed provides their habitat, without which they cannot survive.
"Tribe" is like an ecosystem where plant, animal, and algae species coexist. The plants depicted in the work are cosmopolitan, found almost everywhere in the world. The artwork located next to the central square of the stone bridge parallels the buildings of the new residential area, serving as a habitat for species outside of human influence. Just as a river ecosystem, human communities are also diverse and dependent on each other and the natural environment. By enlarging the scale of the sculpture's elements, Rannikko highlights the unnoticed members of our environment.
As dusk falls, the lighting adds a new dimension to the artwork. When small light points resembling a starry sky illuminate the bird sculptures, stars begin to grow in the small birds. They become enigmatic clusters of stars, like miniature galaxies sitting with the plants.