I am the brand ambassador for the City of Joensuu and its globally recognized photonics community. Join me on my journey as I create the world’s largest light artwork in the city of Albany, Australia, and highlight the role of photonics in the creation of my works.
Journey
Media Coverage
Press relases
Why is photonics world-class in Joensuu?
I’ve travelled around the world. Seen places and been to locations most people would never reach. Light has always been my motive. To illuminate places that have never been lit. To do things that have never been done. Still, it always feels good to come home to Finland. Joensuu offers endless possibilities for the science and art of light. Here, several organizations are working to change the world with light. Discover them below.
Photonics Joensuu
Joensuu grows stronger together. Photonics Joensuu brings researchers, teachers, companies and innovators around the same table to develop light-based technology that makes life better. The network supports research, helps companies grow and turns new ideas into business.
Center for Photonic Sciences
The Center for Photonic Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland is a place where science and technology meet. It offers top-level research, teaching and facilities from cleanrooms to modern labs. The center works closely with companies and has been internationally recognized for its high quality. The Photonics Center on campus provides companies with space, equipment, experts and support for growth.
Photonics Finland
Photonics Finland connects people who work with light-based technology across the country. It brings together companies, universities and organizations to promote Finnish photonics both at home and abroad. The headquarters of Photonics Finland and the European Optical Society are in Joensuu, one of Europe’s leading centers for photonics.
Business Joensuu
Business Joensuu helps ideas become successful businesses. It supports companies at every stage from starting up to international growth. The team offers advice, networks, investment help and premises. Joensuu is a great place to build something new.
City of Joensuu
In Joensuu, light is part of everyday life. The city invests in photonics and shows its possibilities through smart lighting, light art and festivals. Photonics is one of Joensuu’s key strengths and an important part of its future.
Lighting the Sound
Artist Statement by Kari Kola
When I first arrived in Albany, Western Australia, I knew little about the deep cultural and historical layers of this region. Like many, I had learned only the basics of Australian and Aboriginal history, but nothing specific to place or people. It was through conversations with local residents and Aboriginal guides that a more complex, living story began to reveal itself.
One moment in particular became the turning point for this project. I learned about a native plant that shares its name with the Menang people — the traditional custodians of this land. I saw the plant, tasted it under the guidance of a local Aboriginal guide, and was struck by how something so small could carry such deep symbolic weight. This living element — native, rooted, resilient — became the anchor of my concept, the plant was called Menang.
From there, the idea for Lighting the Sound began to form. I wanted to create an artwork that acknowledges both the 200-year history of colonial presence in Albany and the 30,000+ years of continuous Aboriginal culture. These timelines are not separate; they exist side by side in the landscape — and in this project, they meet through light, color, and shared experience.
The entire visual language of the work draws from the bloodroot plant — its vivid pigments, earthy hues, and elemental strength. I committed to using only these natural colors, and to working on a scale that is previously unseen. The result is an immersive installation that transforms the landscape and invites the audience into a moment of stillness, reflection, and awe.
At its heart, Lighting the Sound is about cooperation. The work has been shaped through dialogue — with local Aboriginal culture, community, history, technical experts, and an international team. That process of learning and listening has been just as important as the final outcome.
We live in turbulent times, saturated with noise, division, and anxiety. This project offers an alternative: a place to pause. A surreal yet grounded experience. A visual poem. No matter how well it is described in advance, the full power of Lighting the Sound can only be felt on site — in the quiet of the land, under the presence of light.
This is not just an artwork; it is a gesture. A gesture toward understanding. Toward coexistence. Toward beauty. Just as cooperation between cultures was possible here 200 years ago, it remains possible now — and necessary. Lighting the Sound is a reminder of that, written in color, light, and land.
Now more than ever, we must craft beautiful stories and visionary projects that remind us of the power of hope, and the importance of reaching across borders to work together.
The campaign is part of the activities of the City of Joensuu Innovation Ecosystem Agreement (ERDF), co-funded by the European Union and the City of Joensuu.
