The New Exhibition at the Citizens’ Museum in Helsinki Central Railway Station Gives Voice to Helsinki’s Most Iconic Statues.

The New Exhibition at the Citizens’ Museum in Helsinki Central Railway Station Gives Voice to Helsinki’s Most Iconic Statues

On display from 10 July to 10 August, Twilight of the Idols brings Helsinki’s best-known statues to Helsinki Central Railway Station through sound. The installation features unique voices created for the statues of Alexander II, Aleksis Kivi, Havis Amanda, J. K. Ståhlberg, J. L. Runeberg, the Three Smiths, and Mannerheim.

The work was created by playing each statue a sound corresponding to its own resonant frequency and then recording the sound produced by the statue’s surface. The installation was developed in collaboration with the Finnish Association of Visually Impaired Cultural Services (Näkövammaisten Kulttuuripalvelu ry) as part of a peer workshop for people with visual impairments.

Twilight of the Idols was created by JP Kaljonen, Simon Forström, and Daniel Motola.

The exhibition is on view until 10 August in the west wing of Helsinki Central Railway Station. Welcome!

Update – 13 July 2026: Exhibition Opening Hours Have Changed

Twilight of the Idols is an immersive sound installation with a powerful physical presence. It includes both high-frequency sounds and low-frequency vibrations that can be felt throughout the body. Some people working nearby have found the installation’s soundscape demanding, and, in agreement with all parties involved, we have therefore adjusted the hours during which the sound installation is experienced.

During its scheduled presentation times, the installation’s soundscape is allowed to fully inhabit the Citizens’ Museum space. Its intensity is especially evident in the voice of the Alexander II statue: the familiar classical monument sounds anything but classical. Its powerful sonic presence has been described as both headache-inducing in its intensity and deeply captivating.

What sensations do Alexander II and the other statues evoke in you?

Come hear—and feel—for yourself.

Experience the installation at the Citizens’ Museum until 10 August:

• Weekdays: 6:00 pm – 12:00 midnight
• Weekends: 6:00 am – 12:00 midnight