8 October 2025

Blooming Beyond Borders: student artwork symbolises Unite!

Aalto University Master of Arts student, Suthasinee Naktnasukanjn (Sine), was announced as the winner of the Unite! artefact competition with her artwork ‘Blooming Beyond Borders’. The work was unveiled during the opening ceremony of the XII Aalto Unite! Dialogue.

At every Unite! Dialogue, a physical artefact representing Unite! and its nine partner universities, is unveiled. Past outdoor installations have included the planting of trees, signposts, and Unite! furniture.

As the host of the XII Dialogue, Aalto University took a different approach to this tradition. Recognising the value of student voices in shaping the identity of the alliance, the university launched a one-time competition, open exclusively to Aalto students, to design a lasting artefact for the campus. The brief invited proposals that reflected the XII Dialogue’s theme of connection and collaboration.

The winning proposal was chosen by a jury comprising the President of Aalto University, Ilkka Niemelä, the Vice President for Education, Petri Suomala, and the Manager of Public Art and Exhibitions, Outi Turpeinen. The jury deliberated for more than an hour before reaching its decision.

Sine’s work was recognised for its clear concept, strong visual execution, and alignment with Unite!’s values. The piece, ‘Blooming Beyond Borders’, is an acrylic-on-canvas artwork featuring the national flowers of the nine Unite! universities. Delicate vines weave across the nine separate panels, symbolising how distinct identities can also be interconnected in growth and purpose.

Now permanently installed in the Y Wing of Aalto University’s iconic Undergraduate Centre, ‘Blooming Beyond Borders’ is a tribute to the values of Unite! and to the creativity and insight of its students.

See the video about Sine’s process here: