Call opens for art at three new Ratikka tram stops in Tampere

The City of Tampere says the call covers the first extension segment from Sorin aukio toward Partola in Pirkkala, which will add six stops in total. Three of them – Arboretum, Rantaperkiö and Härmälä – will receive commissioned art applied to splash protection panels. Organisers are seeking one to three artists or artist groups to produce digitised designs; applicants must be professional visual artists with relevant qualifications or several years of active practice.

Antti Haukka, traffic manager responsible for the Ratikka art programme at Tampere Tram Ltd., says the works should raise riders' awareness of local history, for example the area's industrial past or the story of Hatanpää manor. The pieces can use any two-dimensional technique, such as photography, comics or word art, provided they can be digitised.

The artworks will be produced as laminated digital prints on pressed plates, the same technique used at the Hippos and Swimming Centre stops in 2021. Portfolios are due by 12:00 on 11 September 2026. The programme's working committee will decide whether each stop gets its own artist or a single artist will cover all three, and will propose selections to the steering group. Selected artists will receive a €3,500 sketch fee plus VAT. Installations are planned for 2027, with the pieces in place before the section opens to traffic in 2028.