Vantaa Light Rail Art Competition — an international art competition for the metro in Finland with a budget of €300,000
Imagine that your work becomes part of the daily commute for thousands of people and shapes the visual identity of a new transport hub in Europe. The Finnish city of Vantaa has announced an open international public art competition for the future Tikkurila underground station of the light rail system, one of the region’s key infrastructure projects.
What is this competition
The City of Vantaa, in collaboration with the Vantaa Art Museum Artsi, is launching a two-stage competition for professional visual artists and art groups from around the world. The aim is to create a durable, large-scale work of art for an underground station: a corridor and platform area that passengers will pass through every day.
Art here is seen not as decoration, but as part of the architecture, navigation and movement experience. The work should be noticeable but not intrusive, expressive but resistant to time, intensive use and the urban environment.
Who is eligible
This competition is open to professional artists working with public art, installations, architecturally integrated solutions, light, digital and kinetic forms. Participation is possible both individually and as part of a group. Professional experience is important: exhibitions, completed projects, grants, membership in art associations.
If you work at the intersection of art, architecture, urban environment, technology, ecology or local history, this is a rare opportunity to implement a large-scale project in Europe.
Themes and artistic focus
The organisers are looking for projects that explore the encounter between the past and the future, urban identity, movement, time and community. Particular attention is paid to sustainability, accessibility, environmental thinking, and how art is perceived in the constant flow of people — in the morning, evening, winter, and summer.
The work should be understandable to different audiences, not require complex maintenance, and be designed for a long life cycle.
Format and budget
The total budget for the implementation of the work is €300,000. This amount includes the artist’s fee, production, transport, installation, technical solutions and maintenance instructions.
The competition will be held in two stages
.n the first stage, the jury will select 3–5 projects, each of which will receive a prize of €4,000.
In the second stage, the invited participants will receive an additional fee of €4,000 for developing their final proposal. The winning project may be implemented as part of the Artsi museum collection.
Why this is a truly powerful opportunity
This is not a competition for a picture or a temporary promotion. This is a real, paid, institutionally supported public art project that will become part of the city’s infrastructure for decades to come. Such competitions are rare and require a serious approach — which is precisely why they can become a key milestone in an artist’s international career.
If you have been looking for an opportunity to enter the European public commission market and work with scale, space and the city, it is worth taking a closer look and starting your preparations now.
Important dates
Start of the competition — 20 January 2026
End of the first stage application period — 29 May 2026
Publication of the first stage results — June 2026
Final decision of the jury — October 2026
