I’m no hunter, but when out and about yesterday I came across this…
It was interesting, but what really caught my eye was the number 30 attached to it. The giant painted seal reminded me of the painted cows in Chicago back in 1999, and assuming that there were at least 29 others I set off on a seal hunt.
I only came across a total of 7, but this weekend we’ll be heading out in search of the other 23 seals.
The Wild Rose 
Wow!
Beautiful pics of seal 🙂
Thanks! They’re huge and decorated in such unique ways. It’s fun to go out and spot them!
Very fun! Enjoy the hunt! Wish I were with you!
Wish you were here too! It’s a perfect thing to do on a bike!
How do you know that there are only thirty and not 31?
A friend of ours here told us that the seals were on the news and they said there were a total of 40 throughout the city. We went out yesterday, but we got caught in the rain and only ended up seeing another 6.
Tay, I love how you think! 🙂
OK, I just got back from my 4th trip to Turku in the last year and this time ’round I saw the Seals (Sea Lions?) everywhere. What is the program here? Like you I caught the connection to the painted cows in various US cities a few years back and other various art projects where a standard form is painted by various local artists, but I didn’t track down the impetus behind this one. I assume it has to do with the Turku European Cultural City 2011 initiative? I took my own photos of various of the seals (sea lions) as I wandered around town looking for them as well. Sadly I only found 7 and a “Posankka”. Turku is a great city!
I was talking with a Finnish friend of mine after I posted this, and she told me that the seals are part of a charity drive. Each seal has been painted by a specific group of people, and after a few weeks of hanging around town they will each be sold off and the proceeds will go to various charities. I think the proceeds might go to the charity that painted the seal, but I’m not positive. All of the text and news segments on these are in Finnish, leaving me to rely on what I hear from my Finnish friends.
Isn’t Turku fantastic?! We absolutely love it!
Thanks for the update! I had been planning on attempting to translate (crudely) the Finnish on the bases of the statutes when I got home since I photographed them. Either that or ask some of my Finnish coworkers.
I agree about Turku. I have now been to Turku 4 times and have enjoyed it more each time. I think I have hit every museum except the Sibelius museum. I am hopeful that work takes me back. And I also greatly enjoy Helsinki. Now I just fly into Vantaa and grab the train across to Turku each time I go so I can enjoy the country side and get a day to bum around Helsinki as well!
My only task now is to convince my boss that more work needs to be done at the trial facility in Raisio _without making it look like the program I am working on is not working_! (Either that or I have to fake a severe case of Hessburger and Fazer chocoloate withdrawal.)