Paula Lehtonen is a Helsinki-based media artist who explores natural phenomena and the human-nature relationship in the era of ecological disasters, combining traditional animation techniques with new digital video-making methods. In recent works she has worked with alpacas, chickens and now octopus.Paula Lehtonen has a Master of Arts  from Aalto University (2013). Her works have been shown at international film festivals and in KUMU and HAM art museums, among others. In addition to visual arts, Lehtonen works in theatre as a video designer and Vixen VJ.
‍
Tender Tentacles  is an immersive artwork combining video projection and soft objects. It is about empathy for other species and the possibility of encountering the unknown. The work is installed in the children town and features a large friendly octopus in a colourful underwater world, in whose embrace viewers can safely immerse themselves. The work seeks to dispel the demonising myths associated with octopuses and fade away fears of this highly intelligent creature. Sea monsters symbolise  the fear of the unknown, a fear that can be managed by encountering the other. The play that the work makes possible is a good tool for this.