The City of Rovaniemi and the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland are launching a competition to create a new Rovaniemi artwork.

The aim of the competition is to create a visually striking artwork that strengthens local identity and feels meaningful to the people of Rovaniemi.

The competition offers students a unique opportunity to influence the cityscape. All students of the University of Lapland, from any faculty, may participate either individually or in groups.

The artwork is planned for the centre of Rovaniemi. Participants may choose a location for their work from sites proposed by the organiser or suggest an alternative location in a centrally located area owned by the city.

A budget of €100,000 has been allocated for the realisation of the artwork. The budget covers all costs related to the design and production of the artwork, including materials, fabrication, foundation work and installation.

Residents of Rovaniemi will have the opportunity to vote, and the winner will be selected from among three public favourites

The competition will be launched on 14 January 2026 at a kick-off event held at the University of Lapland. After the launch, students will work on their competition proposals from January to May. Proposals may be developed independently or under the guidance of the University of Lapland’s Public Art course in spring 2026.

A pre-jury will review all proposals and select the works for public voting. The public vote will take place in autumn 2026. The jury will choose the final winner from the three most popular proposals by the end of 2026.

The total prize money is €5,500, to be shared among the creators of the three best proposals.

The detailed competition programme will be published at the launch event on 14 January 2026.

The competition is based on an initiative by city councillors, who have expressed a wish for elements such as city lettering in Rovaniemi. Through this competition, the city hopes to find an even more distinctive and unique artwork for Rovaniemi.

Find out more about the artwork competition on the website of the competion.