Galerie Anhava

When creating the piece, Bell was inspired by the changing seasons, summers spent in the archipelago, and the unique interplay of light and shadow of the art park. Standing two meters tall, the sculpture’s form playfully engages with its surroundings. With the artwork, Bell also pays tribute to Lars-Gunnar Nordström (1924–2014), a pioneer of Finnish Concretism. The sculpture is a donation from the L-G Nordström Foundation.

The Hanaholmen Art Park, curated by Professor Emerita Maaretta Jaukkuri, is open to the public all year-round.

Image: Inka Bell, Sini, 2026
anodised and powder-coated aluminium and stainless steel
80 x 200 cm

Photo: Petri Summanen

“The sculpture is composed of curves, twists, and abrupt changes of direction that reflect the dynamics of aerial manoeuvres, and the extreme decisions made in the air. Its form embodies the courage, skill, and determination of the pilots, crew members, and ground personnel who contributed to the defence of Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Contrail is not conceived as a place of mourning, but as a living, forward-looking reminder of human courage, initiative, and freedom of movement. Just as a condensation trail quickly disappears from the sky, the memory of these deeds can fade if it is not actively preserved. By transforming this ephemeral trace of flight into a tangible sculptural form, the design anchors their contribution both in physical space and in the collective memory. The memorial thus becomes more a symbol of presence than of absence – a line that continues through time, reminding us that freedom is never a given, but always the result of human courage and choice.” –Jacob Dahlgren & Lasovsky Johansson Architects

Photo: Jakub Nedbal Assets

Inka Bell is a Helsinki-based visual artist who works within the expanded field of printmaking, exploring printed images, paper sculptures, and public art. Her interests lie in visual phenomena and the limitless possibilities of constructing image surfaces. In Bell’s practice, paper plays a central role – as a material for printing or for shaping into new forms. Through materials, colour, form, and repetition, her works explore the relationship between the two- and three-dimensional. Even with their echoes of minimalism and concretism, her works are nevertheless unmistakably, playfully, insightfully, always Bell’s own. Bell’s works embody subtle moments of transition and transformation, where movement emerges through variations in material and instrumental elements, and invite viewers to observe the changes occurring within them and their relationship to the surrounding space.

Inka Bell (b. 1981, Espoo) lives and works in Helsinki. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Printmaking Department of the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of the Arts Helsinki in 2021. Bell has exhibited extensively in Finland and abroad, including at Haus des Papiers, Berlin (2026); Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki (2025); Turku Art Museum (2025); Backlash Gallery, Paris (2025); EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art (2024); Forum Box, Helsinki (2023); and HAM Helsinki Art Museum Gallery (2020). Her work is represented in public collections in the United States, Denmark, Belgium, and Finland, including Turku Art Museum, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, EMMA Espoo museum of Modern Art, and Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. She has created several commissioned public works in Finland, most recently to Hanaholmen Art Park. In 2024, Bell received the William Thuring Grand Prize awarded by the Finnish Art Society.

Bell’s first solo exhibition at Galerie Anhava took place in August 2026.

Photo: Paavo Lehtonen