Open house at Life on a Leaf

Life on a Leaf, the unique leaf-shaped house, is a gesamtkunstwerk built in Turku in 2009 by the artist Jan-Erik Andersson in collaboration with the architect Erkki Pitkäranta and invited artists. The house was part of Andersson's doctoral thesis, where he studied themes that have to to with the relationship between art and architecture and house and environment: can you live in an artwork and why don't we see more houses shaped like flowers, hats or shoes?

Environmental questions were at the core of the design of the house and Andersson's research. A large part of the house's furniture, lights and bathroom equipment is recycled and the house is heated with a geothermal heat pump. When Andersson designed the house he wanted to emphasise locality and create a space, with the help of art inventions and shapes borrowed from nature, where the resident enjoys living so much, that he or she doesn't feel a constant need to travel away. A space like an adventure and where it feels like you are outside walking an endless path in nature.

During the day you can visit this unique house that today functions as a residency for artists and researchers. Our conversation guides will be present during the day and the artist Jan-Erik Andersson will guide in the house in Finnish at 12 and in Swedish at 14.