The Story of the Arctic Garden looks at the developments in the area surrounding the Arktikum building from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. After the exhibition at the Arktikum Science Centre, you can visit the Arctic Garden and see it with new eyes.

Many Rovaniemi residents know that there is a concrete
structure on the island in front of Arktikum, but not many know why it is there.

– The concrete construction tells about the beginning of
the 20th century, when sawmills were founded in Rovaniemi. It is what remains of the
so-called Vikman sawmill, explains research professor Monica Tennberg of the Arctic
Centre.

"Kuva
The concrete construction. Photo by Monica Tennberg

The exhibition is based on Tennberg’s recent book Arktinen heterotopia:
Neljä tarinaa Rovaniemeltä (Arctic Heterotopia: Four stories from
Rovaniemi), with a familiar concrete structure on its cover. In the book, Tennberg
researches urban arcticity from the viewpoints of the memory of the city, of nature,
of mobility, and of internationality. One chapter focuses on the Sahanperä area,
another concentrates on the Arctic Garden.

– Instead of a
park, I prefer calling the outdoor areas of Arktikum a garden. The Arctic Garden is
a gem the locals know about, but those from outside Rovaniemi will not easily come
across.

According to Tennberg, gardens are places that
combine physical labour, technology, botanical expertise, and ideals and traditions
of beauty. Gardens strive to achieve perfection in nature.

"Kuva
Arctic Garden. Photo by Johanna Westerlund 

– What is a perfect Arctic Garden like? What meanings, materials and skills does it
consist of, and how does it change over the years?

These
are good questions to ask about the Arctic Garden that was selected as one of the
hundred most popular parks in Finland in 2017.

The
exhibition Story of the Arctic Garden runs at the Arktikum
Science Centre from June 5 until September 27, 2020.

You
can download the book Arktinen heterotopia: Neljä tarinaa Rovaniemeltä (in Finnish)
free of charge.

More
information 

Research professor
Monica Tennberg, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, phone +358 400 192 005,
monica.tennberg@ulapland.fi

Arktikum opening hours and
ticket prices