Havis Amanda is a fountain and astatue inHelsinki,Finland by the sculptorVille Vallgren (1855–1940). The work was modelled in 1906 inParis, and erected at its present location at theMarket Square inKaartinkaupunki in 1908. Today it is recognized as one of the most important and beloved pieces of art in Helsinki.[1][2]
TheHavis Amanda is one of Vallgren's ParisianArt Nouveau works. Cast inbronze, it rests on a fountain made ofgranite.[3] The sculpture is of a mermaid standing on seaweed as she rises from the water, with four fish spouting water at her feet, surrounded by foursea lions. Vallgren's intention was to symbolize the rebirth of Helsinki. The height of the statue is 1.94 metres (6 ft 4 in) and with the pedestal it stands 5 metres (16 ft) tall. According to Vallgren's letters the model for the statue was a then 19-year-old Parisian woman, Marcelle Delquini.[4]
Vallgren himself simply called the workMerenneito (English:The Mermaid),[5] but it quickly started to get additional nicknames. TheFinland-Swedish newspapers dubbed itHavis Amanda and the FinnishHaaviston Manta or simplyManta.Havis Amanda is the common name used in brochures and travel guides.
Havis Amanda was unveiled on September 20, 1908. The work drew strong criticism at first,[6] especially from women.[4] Its nakedness and seductiveness were considered inappropriate. Not all groups objected to the nudity per se, but putting it on a pedestal was thought to subjugate women bysexually objectifying them and making them appear weak. Some women's rights groups criticised the look of the figure as plain or "a common French whore", lacking innocence. The sea lions, with their human tongues hanging out, were said to represent men lusting after the mademoiselle. Vallgren considered himself a worshipper of women. Many in the cultural elite of Finland considered Vallgren an outsider and had judged his work even before it was finished. A good friend of his,Albert Edelfelt, was instrumental through his influence in getting the work ordered.[7]
Every year onVappu,Manta serves as a centrepiece for the celebrations. Students of the local universities place astudent cap on the head of the statue in an elaborate ceremony called "Mantan lakitus" ("The capping of Manta").[4][8][9]
In 2002Spencer Tunick organized a photoshoot of voluntary nude Finns, of whom almost 2000 showed up, posing around the statue as part of hisNude Adrift,Finland 3 project.[10][11] In 2014 artistTatzu Nishi constructed a temporary hotel setting around the statue calledHotel Manta where visitors could see the statue in a new, unusual setting.[10][12][13]
There are fears of the old and hollow statue possibly breaking from people climbing on it. In 2019 there were calls from officials to limit celebrations and climbing on the statue.[14][15][16] During 2020's Vappu, out of concern for theCOVID-19 pandemic, the city and the police decided to fence off the statue for the time being and directed the public towards a digital version of capping the statue.[10][17][18][19]
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