The work was selected through a targeted competition with five notable national and international invited artists. The piece “Passage of Time” convinced the jury through its strong way of expressing time. Its starting point is the idea of slow, geological time. The work consists of large blocks forming a gate-like shape, placed together in front of the open staircase between the Book Tower and Astra.

The sculpture resembles layers of stone cut from a larger block, revealing strata shaped by the earth over long periods. The piece is connected to archaeological excavations carried out in the area. Elements found there are interpreted as part of its details, in which the Great Fire of Turku is also visible. A dark band runs through the city’s soil layers marking the traces of the fire.

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Hilda Hellström is trained in both art and object design, with degrees from the Royal College of Art in London and Beckmans College of Design in Sweden. Her sculptural work combines traditional craft methods with contemporary materials and techniques. She explores the stories inherent in materials and is drawn to what lies enclosed within the lithosphere. Casting plays a central role in her practice, where she draws on geology and archaeology.

The sculpture Passage of time evokes a block of sedimented earth or sandstone that has been cut from the ground and then divided into four identical parts. The cross sections reveal what was buried inside the block. In shaping the work, the artist used archaeological studies carried out in the area before construction began (Muuritutkimus 8.5–30.5.2023). During the excavations, objects weighing 83.3 kg and animal bones of roughly 74 kg were recovered, most dating from the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries.

Each block measures 2.2 x 0.55 x 3.0 meters. The passages between the blocks are 90 cm wide, and the sculpture as a whole measures 2.2 x 4.0 x 3.0 meters. The casting process takes place in several stages, with the work being cast in 40 layers of tinted concrete. The artist determined the exact colors of the casting material. Eight unique tones were created through different pigment blends. The cast sections are transported by boat from Stockholm to Turku, where they are installed on site between Astra and Boktornet’s courtyard.