Collective of artists, Sanginkontu taide polut lähellä Oulua / Sanginkontu art trails near Oulu, Finland

location of some of the art trails

In the year 2026 Oulu, a municipality with about 210,000 inhabitants, located in the north-west of Finland at the mouth of the river of the same name, is featured as one of Europe's cultural capitals.

A few years ago, ideas were expressed regarding how to give shape to this. 

The Finnish Association for Rural Culture, approached by residents of Oulu also became involved, and thus a project was developed focused on decorating walking paths with handmade artistic creations.

This post reviews the twelve creations along the trails.

1. Pet cemetery

this image and the next eleven published here in agreement
with MSL, the Finnish Association for Rural Culture

Felicia Honkasalo's contribution is an audio work related to the animal cemetery in a forest. 

Sitting on a bench by the animal cemetery, one can listen to an exposition via headphones, such as the question of why some animals have a name and a place in the forest, while others are completely forgotten.

2.  River Dragon

The wooden creation, now named River Dragon, was found in a nearby forest by children from a school in Sanginsuu.

it was a sculpture originally made by an artist who works with a chainsaw. 

The find was repainted by the children in 2023 and named River Dragon, was given a spot atop a piece of rock in the nearby forest.

3. Longing

Above creation by Pia Hentunen's concerns the longing for deceased pets, which can play an important role in people's lives.

This longing is depicted in the creation made in 2025 primarily from stainless steel.

4. The large cone

The creation Jesse Kitinoja made in collaboration with his uncle Macu Makkonen, is a large cylindrical structure composed of approximately 1,200 large, hand-carved wooden scales from a maple tree. 

It is an artwork that, when displayed outdoors, will develop a beautiful silver-gray patina over time.

5. Spirit of the forest

François Blosseville's creation, named Spirit of the Forest, combines the artist's work with the forest environment and developments in nature. 

The trees have risen in the forest and, by falling, have become sculptures that will eventually decay in the place where they were born.

6. The rapids pilot

The idea for above creation by Jussi Ruusulampi came from the history of Oulu, from times when tar boats were transported by the Oulu River to the seaside.

It was a difficult and dangerous ride via rapids. He made a huge sculpture depicting a local riverman piloting his tar boat through the rapids

7.The fkow of time

The creation The Flow of Time by Tuomas Mujunen and Kati Leinonen, currently still in preparation, will be placed along the Oulu River at the boat landing in Sanginsuu.

8. Pavillion of the crane's flight

The creation named Pavilion of the Crane's Flight, crafted in 2025 by Eero Markuksela, is situated on a wooded slope overlooking the Oulujoki River. 

Visitors can sit quietly inside and enjoy the landscape and the river.

9. The picture stone

Kai Ruohonen made the creation named Picture Stone in collaboration with local residents, who provided suggestions from which the artist crafted the tribal sign of the Lapinkangas. 

This sign expresses what the tar rowers experienced while sailing on the Oulu River.

10, The seating stone

The wooden stools, created by Aimo Laitinen, offer visitors a seat to watch a video made by Satu Pietilä, which tells the story connected to the Seating Stone.

That is a large boulder that ended up at its current location during the Ice Age.

11. Old Barn

The image above shows a barn that in earlier years housed the forest ranger and has now been renovated by volunteers thanks to the efforts of artist Satu Suvanto. 

She began using the barn as a workspace and also organized art workshops in the barn for local residents.  

The barn became adorned with 84 flower petals descending from the ceiling, as well as artworks showcasing details of the surrounding nature.

12. Long live Sanginjoki

In a picturesque spot stands a bench topped with an information board depicting the rich history and daily life of the nearby village of Sanginjoki, compiled by Satu Pietilä, Karita Heikkinen and Riitta Johanna Laitinen, and based on memories of villagers.

The bench was crafted by Kari Viinikangas, an artist who works with a chainsaw.

The size of the trails varies.

The longest art trail comprises six creations (numbers 1 through 6), followed by a trail of three (numbers 10 through 12), a trail of two (numbers 7 and 8), and there is a standalone creation (number 9).

Documentation

* In addition to the sources referred to in the reviews above, see also this website of the Association for Rural Culture

* More information about the art trails can also be found on the internet via this search query.

Sanginkontu Art Trails near Oulu, region North Ostrobothnia, Finland

Calogero Gangitano, Jardin décoré / Decorated garden

this image and the next five courtesy of Tipeek Photos
see documentation

The blue iron gate in the image above, located along a road in the municipality of Fontenilles in southern France, was handcrafted by the resident of the house behind it. 

It's difficult to see in the image, but the supports to the left and right of the gate are decorated with white sculptures depicting storks, also created by the resident.

Welcome to the art environment created by Galogero Gangitano near his house.

a scene with large colorful ants

Life and works

Gangitano, who was born in Tunis in 1941, migrated in 1961 as a young man to France, where he worked as a welder and operator of a milling machine for about 44 years until his retirement.

He was married, had children and his wife passed away some years ago. 

As a metalworker, he began collecting scrap metal to use as parts of the house and the swimming pool he both built himself. 

He used these metallic elements not only in the construction process, but also as furniture, chandeliers and decorative elements indoors. 

a palm tree

It so happened that at some point in his life, he felt inspired to realize all sorts of artistic creations himself. 

This moment came when he and his children visited a nearby amusement park, which featured sculptures depicting figures from the world of entertainment, such as Charlie Chaplin.

His first creations were primarily sculptures depicting this kind of people, which he made from concrete by covering pre-formed mesh models with layers of cement. 

a bird feeder

a bird from metal

Creations at a spot along a road, no longer existing

These sculptures were notably placed on a site a few kilometres from Gangitano's house, a plot of land which was initially owned by his brother and later inherited by Gangitano.

He was denied a building permit by the mayor for this site, so it became a public exhibition space with a playground, a large treehouse, a carousel and a picnic area.

However, because several sculptures were stolen or damaged, Gangitano closed the site and sold most of the concrete creations to a scrap dealer. Only some got a place near his house.

Creations near the house

For many years Gangitano also provided the space around his house with sculptures, as can be seen in the images in this post. He made these partly from cement, but also started using metal for his creations.

In front of the house there is a scene with an elderly couple seated at a table with grandchildren and a dog, in which Gangitano's grandparents Louis and Marie are depicted.

And then, as the images in this post show, there is a scene of colorful ants, there are sculptures of a stone palm tree with metal leaves, an aluminium bird, a birdfeeder and busts of Gangitano and his wife. 

There are deecorations at the swimming pool and a variety of other items. More images are available in the last two articles in the documentation.

a scene with busts of Gangitano and his wife

Documentation

* Article (April 2007) on French newspaper La Dépêche

* Article (September 2021) on website Cartographie des Rocamberlus 

* Article (January 2026) on website Tipeek Photos

Calogero Gangitano

Decorated garden

9 Chemin de Saint-Flour

31470 Fontenilles, dept of Haute-Garonne, region Occitanie, France

can be visited on appointment

Antonin Wagner, Skalní kaple / Rock chapel

          

his phota and the next one by Ivo Weiss 
as on Google Streetview

The entrance of the chapel pictured above, located near Svojkov, a small village with some 300 inhabitants in the Lužické Mountains of North Bohemia, Czech Republic, has been carved into a sandstone rock formation.

Life and works

The carving project was undertaken in 1836 by Antonin Wagner, a local amateur sculptor, about whose life virtually nothing is known.

In the 1840s the chapel was often visited by the last Czech king, Ferdinand V, which will have contributed to the chapel becoming a true place of pilgrimage.

side view

The rock chapel is located in the Modlivý důl, which means "Prayer Valley", an area that attracts many visitors due to its forests and beautiful sandstone cliffs.

In earlier centuries, the valley was associated with all sorts of dark myths, but in 1704, a local brewery worker attached a statue of the Virgin Mary to a tree at the site where the chapel now stands. 

Rumors of miracles spread, and the place became a place of pilgrimage, visited by processions. 

Around 1770 a wooden chapel was built, commissioned by Countess Alžběta Kinská, which was later replaced by a chapel carved into the rock. In 1830 the entrance was created by Antonin Wagner.

The chapel, which now has the status of a protected heritage, can be reached on foot from a parking lot in nearby Svojkov.

historical postcard (circa 1914) on Wikipedia 

Documentation

* Article on Wikipedia

* Article (2016) in newspaper Idnes about the renovation of the path to the chapel

* Arttcle on the website Hodkovice nod Mohelkou with some photos

Antonin Wagner

Entrance of the Rock Chapel

Village of Svojkov, region Liberec, North Bohemia, Czech Republic

Google Streetview

Pascal Delphin, Exposition de toutes sortes de sculptures en fer / Exhibiting all kinds of iron sculptures

image (July 2023) as on Google Streetview

The image above shows the exterior of a studio of a non-professional visual artist, located in Vareilles, a commune with a little more than 200 inhabitants (2004) in the dapartment of Saône-et-Loire in France.

Life and works 

The owner of the studio, Pascal Delphin, was born in 1959 or 1960 in Chassigny-sur-Dun, also a small community, about ten kilometers south of Vareilles.

this image and the next five
as on Delphin;s Facebook

Little has been published about his life during the years before he grouped creations into art environments, except that  he felt strongly drawn to making art. 

Initially he focused on drawing, but as he grew older he found this too static an activity. 

He began to develop a greater affinity with making sculptures, and more specifically making sculptures from recycled iron, where he was confronted with volume and movement and where he could rotate around the pieces being progressed.

In 2010, in his early 50s, he settled in Saint-André-d'Apchon, a commune in the Loire department with over 1,900 inhabitants (2022).

He had a house with a garden of approximately 1,500 m², which he gradually filled with iron sculptures, created by himself in his studio.

Drawing on the Japanese concept of gardens, he wanted to create a Zen space, the Ezen Garden, where visitors could wander freely.

He also attracted attention from the regional press, which described him as a highly original sculptor who, using ancient tools, could bring to life assemblages depicting Gallic warriors or metal samurai, unusual tractors, improbable boats and the like.

After living and working in Saint-André-d'Apchon for eight years, Delphin returned to his native region, moving into a vacant building in Verailles that would become his new studio and exhibition space.

As can be seen in the very first image, the building is separated from the road by a green area, where several of his larger sculptures are displayed. Other sculptures, particularly the smaller ones, are also displayed in the spacious interior, which also serves as a studio

Here he continued his creative work, producing all kinds of iron sculptures as he had made in previous years, depicting people, means of transport, flower boxes, but also smaller models of animals.

The image below gives an impression of the studio/exhibition space.

Documentation

* Website of Pascal Delphin

* Article on website La Bourgogne (in English)

* Entry on Instagram, with a variety of photos

* Account on Facebook

Pascal Delphin

Exhibition of iron sculptures

Le Vieux Bourg

80 Route de Saint Christophe

71800 Vareilles, dept Saône-et-Loire, region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

Rafael Moya, Casa decorada "La Gata Negra"/ Decorated house "The Black Cat"

                        all images courtesy of Serflac, 

                    from his video in the documentation 

The house named The black Cat, located in a rock formation in the Spanish municipality of Bácor-Olivar, was originally inhabited by the grandfather of the current resident, who decorated the house and its surroundings in various ways.

the entrance door

Life and works

Rafael Moya, who created all those decorations, was born into a family of eight brothers and sisters., living in Bácor-Olivar.

Shortly after finishing school, the family moved to Alicante, hoping for a better future.

Rafael Moya worked for a time as a cook in Benidorm and Ibiza, but because this was mainly seasonal work, he founded a small construction company, which also allowed him to undertake decorative projects.

In his younger years, he traveled extensively, visiting not only Europe but also Asia and Africa, where he primarily visited historical sites.

His preference for working on decorative projects led him to return to his native region to restore his grandfather's house, which had fallen into disrepair. He did this from around the turn of the century, primarily during his holidays.

Besides restoring the house, Rafel Maoya also developed into aself-taught artist.  

This meant that he not only provided the interior of the house with various artistic creations, but also created his own works of art. .

After many years of restoration, the house was opened to the public as a museum.

From the outside, various creations can be seen. 

For example, the hill behind the dwelling has been sculpted into the head of a man with a pointed hat.

This head of a male, as shown in the image at the very top, meanwhile is accompanied by another sculpture of a head, as shown in the image below right.

Rafael Moya hasn't focused his artistic talent solely on beautifying his grandfather's house. 

He has also begun creating independent sculptures, such as a life-size sculpture of a farmer with a hoe and a donkey, an ensemble located near a roundabout in Bacor.

Documentation

* Google Streetview with a variety of images

* Article on the website of the municipality of Bácor-Olivar 

* Article (December 2013) on the website En-clase Ideal

Video

* Video (2022) by Serflac, the scenes of La Gata Negra start at 7.37

La Gata Negra

Calle los Moyas, 167, 173, 

18860 Bácor, Granada, Spain

can be partly seen from outside, 

interior visits by appointment only

Jose Luis Romero, Casa decorada "Carmen de los Arrayanes" / Decorated house "Carmen de los Arryanes"

this image as on Google Streetview

The house pictured above, named Carmen de los Arrayanes and located in the Spanish municipality of Paradas, seems unremarkable at first glance. 

However, the interior has a unique allure, with a surprising design and all sorts of decorative elements, which all together are a faithful replica of the famous palace Alhambra in Granada.

this image and the next five courtesy of Serflac,
from his video in the documentation

Life and works

The house is a creation of José Luis Romero (1948-2025), who was born in Paradas and had there a store dealing in fabric and clothing.

He married María del Carmen and the couple got two children. 

The idea of ​​building a replica of the Alhambra developed gradually. 

It all began when Romero inherited a small book from his father, containing all sorts of black-and-white drawings of the Alhambra palace and he often leafed through it with admiration.

However, the decisive factor was his acquisition of the original 1842 edition of the study by Owen Jones and Jules Goury, entitled Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Alhambra. 

It was a purchase for which he had to pay a substantial sum. 

Gradually he came up with the idea of ​​building a replica of the Alhambra in his hometown of Paradas.

To achieve this, he bought a house in the early 1990s, which he demolished. In this way he created a 500 m² plot of land where he in 1993, with the help of craftsmen, began building his dream home.

He had made a variety of drawings of the interior of the house, as he envisioned it as a replica of the Alhambra, and during the period of construction, he visited the Alhambra some 140 times to document the details.

During the twelve years that the construction would take, he focused all his energy on this project and did not go on vacation.

More than a hundred different silicone molds were used for the plasterwork, which Romero made himself in a small workshop on the construction site. Some of these molds were as long as three meters.

Approximately 125,000 tiles cover the baseboards, ceilings and hallways.

An impressive element of the building is the octagonal tower, with an opening at the top to the outside air, as shown below. This opening can be opened and closed.

There is also a courtyard framed by semicircular arches, as shown in the image below. 

This courtyard houses a swimming pool surrounded by fountains.

Once the construction was completed, José Luis Romero and his family moved into the house.

In 2013 it was opened to visitors, who are welcome, especially on Saturdays, by appointment.

Romero died in 2025, and his wife, Maria del Carmen, and her son, José Romero Muño, currently live in the house.

Documentation

* Article (June 2025) by Lucia Lorenzo in newspaper Turium

* Article (July 2025) by Ezequiel García Barreda in newspaper Lavosdelsur, with illustrations

* Article (Februari 2023) on Instagram, with illustrations

* Entry on Tripadvisor, with a variety of photos

Video

* Video (2022) by Serflac, the scenes of the decorated house start at 03.56

* Another video (November 2025, 3.23,  subtitled in English) on Facebook

Jose Luis Romero

La Casa Carmen de los Arrayanes

8 Calla Larga, 41610 Paradas, Sevilla, Spain

visitors welcome on appointment

 

Francisco Palma Jimenez, Casa decorada con conchas / House decorated with shells

all pictures in this post are screenprints from the
video in the documentation 

The shell-decorated house in this post is located in Albuñuelas, a small village of around 800 inhabitants (2024) in the province of Granada, situated near the coast in southern Spain. 

These decorations were created by Francisco Palma Jimenez. born in 1933.

Life and works

The village's economy is primarily focused on citrus fruit cultivation, and young Francisco quickly became involved with the locals working in this branch of agriculture. 

As a result, his time at school was limited to just a few months, and he had to learn to read and write largely on his own.

Francisco married a neighbour girl, and the couple would have three children. 

He was an enterprising man and built his own house on a plot of land next to his parents' house. 

That turned into a project that took about 32 years. He worked on the construction when he wasn't working seasonally, successively during the olive harvest, the tomato season, and the grape harvest, for which he went to France.

But the project's duration was also influenced by his intention to decorate the house with shells, both inside and out. 

He searched for them on the nearby beaches along the Mediterranean Sea, where he collected over two million shells, while he also collectid fossils found around Albuñuelas.

There was, of course, a practical reason for covering the house walls with shells, as it eliminated the need to re-whitewash them every year. 

But more than this practical consideration, there was Francisco's artistic need to decorate his house beautifully.

Like he made his own planters decorated with cement flowers, and he made a collection of various tools and carved stone heads, while thousands of pumpkins adorn the ceilings of various rooms.

Hundreds of objects he made from esparto grass hang from the kitchen ceiling, ranging from a complete donkey to small baskets, saddlebags, coasters, mats, several bull heads, and even bras made from this material. 

On one wall, he has another unusual collection: forty walking sticks made of wild olive wood.

Francisco Palma Jimenez, who was in his early 90s at the time of publication of this article, is a friendly man who is happy to give visitors a tour of the house and garden.

Documentation 

*  Article (2025) by Miguek Angek MolinePalma

*  Article (2015) by Jo Farb Hernandez on the website Spaces Archives, with a variety of pictures

*  Article  on the website of the Town Hall of the municipality of Durcal 

*  Article (September 2006) on the website of newspaper Granada

Video

* Video (2022) by Serflac, the scenes of the shell decorated house starts at 13.20

Francisco Palma Jimenez

House decorated with shells

8 Calle Morales   

Albuñuelas, Granada Province, Spain

visitors welcome