Suggest the Ugliest Place in Oulu – The Winning Location Will Receive a Light Art Installation at the Lumo Light Festival

Residents of Oulu are invited to take part in the creation of a light art installation for the Lumo Light Festival by suggesting what they consider to be the ugliest place in their hometown. The site selected by the public will host artist Katja Muttilainen’s work The Ugliest Place in the City, to be realized in conjunction with the light festival in autumn 2026.

Participation begins with an open survey in which residents can propose the place they consider the ugliest. Responses are submitted via an online form, which will be open until 3 May 2026.

Submit your suggestion for the ugliest place in Oulu

Based on the proposals, Muttilainen will select a few locations that are suitable for realizing the artwork. In June 2026, residents of Oulu will be able to vote on these sites, and the location that receives the most votes will be chosen as the final site for the artwork.

Katja Muttilainen is trained as a lighting and illumination designer and is a creative professional in the arts as well as a teacher of lighting design. In her art, professional work, and curatorial practice, she is particularly interested in encounters, participation, and communication, as well as creative and communal sharing of knowledge.

The Ugliest Place in the City has previously been realized in Jyväskylä, and in addition to Oulu, it will also be implemented in Tartu, Estonia.