Public commission
Central Library Oodi
Helsinki, Finland
2018
Photos: Maija Toivanen / HAM Helsinki Art Museum
The artwork is situated in the main staircase of the library, running through the building from street level up to the second floor. It consists of roughly 400 dedications painted on the inner walls of the staircase.
The dedications were collected through a public campaign on the library’s website. Anyone could freely propose who deserved to have the library dedicated to them. There were some guidelines, though, that people were asked to follow: the suggested groups of people should be commonly recognised, should not be offensive or based on opinions, and should not be otherwise questionable. The final selection of dedications was made by the artist, with the help of expert advisors, such as the Secretary-General of the Finnish League for Human Rights Kaari Mattila and the author and director Juha Hurme.
The hundreds of various groups mentioned in the artwork might give an impression of abundance, but eventually the selection is quite helplessly limited and random. It is thus in no means a comprehensive sampling of people who would deserve a dedication in the library. Nevertheless, the artist gives a guarantee that everyone can find at least one or several groups there to identify with. The work invites viewers to contemplate the endless variety of human creatures inhabiting the earth and to fill the gaps with their own imagination. What do we mean with “everyone” when we say for example that “library is a free public space that belongs to everyone”. Is everyone really included?
The words are hand-painted on the walls with stencils. The mutual order of the words is random and there is no specific reading direction. Some words close to each other might of course create all kinds of relations and juxtapositions but that is entirely up the viewer’s interpretation.
Scroll down for English translations of all the words appearing in the work.
TO:
everyone
strangers
lazybones
the henpecked
the spiritually enlightened
genderqueers
orphans
introverts
fierce fighters
reading clubs
anarchists
itchy people
beggars
acquaintances
officials
sports fans
suicides
astral beings
leading characters
princesses
chubby folk
the lonely
Shintoists
fundamentalists
foreigners
old people
families
Jews
uncles
enthusiasts
victims of war
nihilists
aspiring authors
the voiceless
pixies
others
the disappointed
babies
Afro-Finns
humorists
battlers
us
victims of school bullies
heroes
Tatars
the cold-sensitive
builders
reformers
nice people
zany people
cousins
the misunderstood
shepherds
the multitude
planners
the invisible
presidents
adults
students
vagabonds
children with special needs
cutie-pies
lurkers
helpers
Muslims
the dead
rehabilitees
the homeless
singles
underdogs
night owls
the speechless
schoolchildren
the inhibited
daydreamers
detainees
superheroes
hunter-gatherers
princes
outsiders
amateurs
settlers
winners
the guilty
the pure-hearted
supporting characters
the hoodwinked
clowns
bureaucrats
liberals
shy people
extraterrestrials
writers
revolutionaries
grandfathers
fault-finders
Taoists
the paperless
doubters
people
the racialized
populists
the depressed
dreamers
the blind
authors
grandchildren
the downtrodden
skeptics
urbanites
Don Quixotes
Pollyannas
farmers
gays
agnostics
the silenced
toilers
hobos
short people
nature lovers
quiet souls
asylum-seekers
the selfish
toddlers
hedonists
self-sacrificers
mystics
prudes
asexuals
Hindus
disabled retirees
the departed
tourists
sound minds
ragamuffins
the bitter
hippies
women
citizens
the poor
sexual minorities
the forsaken
collectors
the landless
the melancholy
meanderers
dog lovers
creeps
lovers
addicts
the betrayed
the motley crew
men
atheists
progressives
professionals
refugees
the genderless
mothers
doers
soldiers
the unknown
nerve-graters
sauna lovers
cat people
sign language users
the child-like
complainers
victims of discrimination
Sikhs
sun worshippers
witches
vegans
bellyachers
the light-fingered
critics
hair-splitters
loafers
the masses
mediocrities
the illiterate
heterosexuals
emigrants
conservatives
noise-makers
LGBT families
scholars
fakirs
generous people
feminists
friends
the forgotten
the cheerful
the young
holiday-makers
minorities
ordinary people
loudmouths
freeloaders
the rightless
alcoholics
workers
the hounded
the trusting
weirdos
adopted people
small people
wizards
opportunists
nutcases
left-wingers
curmudgeons
characters
LGBT teens
the fearless
gigglers
nonconformists
up-and-comers
bootlickers
artists
twisted minds
thinkers
leaders
brown girls
engineers
bored people
Christians
The Romani
intergenders
challengers
the helpless
high priestesses
the short-statured
nature conservationists
spirits
busy people
people with aphasia
forgivers
empaths
dementia sufferers
the childless
royals
peaceful souls
misers
sleepwalkers
charlatans
you
pansexuals
the living
the unemployed
the socially excluded
ghosts
Weltschmertz sufferers
fanatics
hungry hearts
the unwell
the bookless
sad souls
rich folk
risk groups
hyperactive people
hard-boiled types
the disabled
pleasure-seekers
the lost
pensioners
solace seekers
islanders
rubbernecks
the mute
ancestors
the insane
the oppressed
middle-aged people
broadminded thinkers
fathers
gods
the hungry
perverts
philosophers
marginalized groups
home cooks
entrepreneurs
children
the absent-minded
romantics
tough cookies
pagans
Finns
laid-back loungers
people “straight off
the farm”
the fearful
visionaries
the anxious
the brave
phonies
slaves
the hopeful
enemies
the misguided
deportees
ministers
allergic people
tall people
grandmothers
geeks
average-sized people
children in foster care
star-gazers
criminals
readers
the sick
right-wingers
early risers
migrants
the pure
aunties
them
culture vultures
country folk
nervous Nellies
adventurers
home-builders
rebels
believers
prisoners
loved ones
obsessives
the deaf
the working class
dancers
the ancients
the authorities
the timid
bisexuals
the bullied
the enlightened
volunteers
polyamorists
underachievers
boating buffs
organisms
freckled people
immigrants
seekers
association members
bigmouths
careerists
tired people
masochists
the free
transvestites
peacemakers
do-gooders
teenagers
Sámis
fitness freaks
the overworked
slayers
the high-minded
losers
rejects
people in hiding
godparents
shamans
the honest
the missing
Swedish-speaking Finns
healers
windbags
skinny people
the innocent
choir singers
emperors
philomaths
trans people
sulkers
suspicious individuals
visionaries
inventors
foot-draggers