A thousand–kilo pike is rising on a pedestal in the port of Turku

Sculptor and visual artist Hans-Christian Berg has made a digital sketch on his computer of an angular turquoise green pike, whose mouth is open in a playful way. It is the base design for the ‘Giant of Aura’ artwork that will be situated at the front of the Port of Turku’s new terminal in early 2027.

The large fish will be quite an ambitious project. The Giant of Aura will consist of approximately 2,000 pieces of marine grade aluminium and stainless steel, which Berg and his working groups intend to weld and rivet together. The pike will weigh about 1,000 kilos.

“We won’t know the exact weight until all the pieces are assembled together”, Berg says.

The steel I am using as material is ecologically sustainable and relatively maintenance-free. The work of art could also be made of natural materials, but they usually suffer in outdoor conditions within a few years and their maintenance is problematic”, Berg says.

In any case, the nearly six-metre pike will be a true sight to behold, particularly with the colour-rimmed circles gleaming on its surface. They resemble scales, the tone of which will change as the light hits them.

“The colouring of the pike is always unique in nature as well, as it depends on the water. Pike in the River Aura are green and dark. The Giant of Aura, too, will look different from different angles and distances. It will be appealing and approachable, also for the smallest members of the family”, the artist suggests.    

The monster-pike rises

The pike is one of 38 different species of fish found in the River Aura and, like the port of Turku, it is also international. Pike can be found almost anywhere on the planet.

“Art can also contribute to ecological discourse. The area around the castle is changing and there are many good things happening there. The port is expanding in a way that respects nature and residential areas are being built on a more sustainable basis.”

The pike is also a mysterious fish in folklore and features heavily in the poems of the Finnish epic, Kalevala.

“Today’s online world is ripe with embellished realities that can also be playfully referred to as fish stories. I hope that the Giant of Aura also inspires creativity in others. Maybe it will bring out the poet in everyone”, Berg ponders.  

Boating family

And does the artist, who hails from Inkoo, have his own fish story?

“The biggest pike I ever caught weighed 12 kilos. A photograph was taken of me holding the fish, but then I returned it to the water. I often release them.”

Turku and its harbours are familiar to Berg, as he enjoys boating and spent his childhood summers fishing at his family’s cottage in Kuusisto. His mother’s family is from the Åland Islands and included sailors and those who made their living at sea.

“Grandpa built his own boat and actually ended up getting shipwrecked with it. He and Grandma were missing for weeks. They were eventually found, of course, and even after that experience, they sailed around the world”, Berg says.

Text: Sari Järvinen
Photos: Hans-Christian Berg