The Poetry Mural

A mural featuring poetry by Mirkka Rekola was unveiled in the vicinity of the Annikki Wooden Quarter on 6 June 2021. The location of the mural is Pinninkatu 14, Tampere. Covering the entire end wall of a seven-storey building, the work was created by top Finnish mural artist Teemu Mäenpää. Tree of Poetry is a new landmark for Tampere, and one of the most prominent works of art in the city. The unveiling of the mural was seen on Annikki Poetry Festival's Live Video Stream on 6 June 2020.

The mural includes a poem by Mirkka Rekola, one of the classic names in Finnish contemporary poetry: ‘Minä rakastan sinua, minä sanon sen kaikille.’ (‘I love you – let the whole world know it.’) The poem carries a strong message of tolerance linked with the time of its publication and the personal history of its writer. The poem was published in a collection with the same name in 1972. In Finland, love affairs between people of the same sex were a crime until 1971.