Kimmo Schroderus, Megafauna, 2019

On 8 September 2019, a sculpture called Megafauna was commissioned from the Salo-based sculptor Kimmo Schroderus (b. 1970). Five metres high, with massive dimensions but a light appearance, the sculpture is made of acid-resistant steel. The work reflects Schroderus’s interest in depicting motion, and the reflectivity and transparency of surfaces. The name Megafauna refers to the animal kingdom and a large size. However, each viewer interprets the sculpture in their own way.

In addition to his other achievements, Kimmo Schroderus is known as the winner of the 2004 Ars Fennica Prize. Works by Schroderus can be found in the collections of several museums and cities, and outside in the streetscape, such as in Helsinki, Kotka, Jyväskylä and Kauniainen.

The piece was acquired through the SSO Fund established in 1999, and placed in front of the Art Museum. When the additional capital accruing money for the SSO scholarship was returned and the Art Museum scholarship fund was also discontinued, the funds were transferred to the museum for free use. From the very beginning, the purpose of the fund had been to support the local artists, and so the museum directed the funds to support a local artist through an art acquisition. The sculpture by Kimmo Schroderus, commissioned during the 20th anniversary year of the Art Museum in 2018, livens up the urban space and brings art into the everyday life. Standing in the front yard of Art Museum Veturitalli, the sculpture also serves as a landmark for the Art Museum.