Oulu unveils 10-year Homer sculpture for humans and fish

A two-metre marble sculpture that recites Homer’s Odyssey one word per hour for a decade has been installed at Kello harbour in Oulu, northern Finland, reports public broadcaster Yle. The artwork, titled Super Kello (Super Clock), is designed as a refuge for both people and marine life if sea levels rise.

Created by Danish collective Superflex and Portuguese studio KWY, the piece features a clock-shaped marble form paired with an audio system. Local fisher Elina Halonen reads the epic aloud in Finnish at the glacial pace—stretching the full text over ten years. Each hour, a single word sounds from speakers near the sculpture.

The work is part of Oulu’s Climate Clock series, six permanent public artworks across Northern Ostrobothnia marking the city’s year as a European Capital of Culture. The New York Times profiled the project in April.

Artist Rasmus Rosengren Nielsen of Superflex described the piece as a meditation on deceleration. “We’re seeing the consequences of a planet pushed by human speed and efficiency,” he told Yle. “Perhaps slowing down is something we should consider.”

The sculpture also functions as a potential future habitat for fish if climate change submerges the coastline. “In 500 or 1,000 years, the water may rise and cover it,” Nielsen said. “Hopefully the fish will like it too.”

Superflex, known for large-scale participatory works like Copenhagen’s Superkilen park, encourages visitors to touch, sit on, or even drink coffee atop the marble. The group’s past projects include a 10-day film in Helsinki and oversized vegetable installations outside hospitals.

All six Climate Clock artworks will open to the public on 13 June.