To Go Through Grey Stone

Lanu Park in Lahti was built between 1989 and 1992. The city of Lahti commissioned a total of 12 sculptures from Olavi Lanu to be placed in the deciduous Kariniemenmäki forest. The starting point of the sculptures was the body of work Lanu created for the Venice Biennale in 1978, entitled Life in the Finnish Forest, in which he explored the relationship between humanity and nature in various ways. Cast in concrete at the Renkomäki gravel pit, the sculptures in the park imitate natural materials. Blending in with their surroundings, the sculptures were all sited by the artist himself.

Olavi Lanu (1925–2015) was a visual artist, teacher and prominent figure in the Lahti art scene.

This concrete work in Lanu Park is 4.5 metres high. The title of the piece is a pun: the Finnish phrase “to go through grey stone” is metaphor for the human determination to overcome all obstacles. Lanu’s work is a literal rendering of the phrase, depicting a human figure pushing through the tapering monolith. The humorous work appeals to the Finnish viewer not only with its clear and simple form but also with its theme of perseverance and strength of character. The starting point for the work was a tapering boulder found at Kaitasuo swamp. The stony texture was created with a cheese wax mould. The figure here too was modelled on the artist’s daughter Tessaliina.

Artwork on the map

In Lanu Sculpture Park. – Kariniemenpuistotie 49, Lahti.
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