Posanka is a cross between a rubber duck and a marzipan pig. Through the pig-duck motif, artist Alvar Gullichsen draws attention to the ethical questions surrounding genetic modification while also celebrating the legacy of Turku’s avant-garde movement.

Posanka made its ceremonial arrival on the banks of the River Aura on May Day Eve in 1999. It now welcomes travellers arriving from the direction of Helsinki while challenging everyone’s imagination and sense of humour.

At Christmas, the sculpture is given an elf’s hat, and at May Day, a student cap. Over time, Posanka became something of an unofficial symbol of Turku, until it was officially designated the city animal of Turku in 2019.