The Sibelius Monument

In the 1960s the Sibelius Society organized a competition to create a monument for Sibelius. The competition was held in two rounds and Eila Hiltunen's bequest, Passio Musicae was pronounced the winner of the second round. The publicity surrounding the competition was enormous. The confrontation between supporters of abstract and representational art was avoided when a bust of Jean Sibelius was added as a separate element to the proposal. The multi-dimensional structure of the monument, which enables the spectators to go inside the monument and the echos and sounds created in its pipes, renders the monument exceptional. Viewed from a distance the shape of the monument melts into the background forest and the rough rock surface. The description of nature in the music of Sibelius is visually reflected in the monument. The Sibelius monument is among the best-known sights in Helsinki. A major fundraising campaign was undertaken all over the country to finance the monument. At the same time, the campaign enhanced the stature of Sibelius and is music in the country both in schools and among the general public.

The monument was unveiled in 1967. It is made of acid-proof steel pipes.

https://www.hamhelsinki.fi/en/sculpture/sibelius-monumentti-eila-hiltunen/