Makasiini Contemporary : The art of exchange

By Ndéla Faye | Photos: Emilia Usvalaakso

Inside Helsinki’s historic Train Factory, where industrial heritage merges with buzzing contemporary culture, Makasiini Contemporary opens a bold new chapter, marked by an expanded programme and sharpened international focus.

Makasiini Contemporary was founded in 2016 and it has built a reputation of having an ambitious programme, long-term artist collaborations and an international outlook that has been set in its identity since the very beginning.

The gallery is located in Vallila, one of the city’s most culturally vibrant former industrial districts. Following its move from Turku to a significantly larger space in Helsinki in late 2025, the gallery now operates on an even broader stage that aligns perfectly with its curatorial ambition. “The new space allows us to realise projects on a much larger and more diverse scale, while bringing us closer to international networks and a wider audience,” says the gallery’s founder and director Frej Forsblom.

The building’s architecture itself has become an active part of the programme: the gallery includes three exhibition spaces totalling 750 square metres, impressively high ceilings and windows that bring in generous natural light.

The gallery’s exhibition programme focuses on contemporary art that engages with current artistic, social and cultural dialogues. Exhibitions span a wide range of media and practices, reflecting the diversity of the gallery’s represented artists and its commitment to artistic experimentation and critical inquiry.

Ola Kolehmainen, Great Council Venice (1172-1797), 2024.

A space for dialogue

What has distinguished Makasiini Contemporary since its founding is its ability to combine curatorial flexibility and ease with an ambitious exhibition programme. The gallery represents a roster of both Finnish and international artists, balancing established names from around the world with a strong commitment to showcasing emerging talent. “Roughly half of the represented artists come from outside Finland. This shows a deeply embedded internationalism in our operations, which has been present from the start,” Forsblom says.

The gallery’s operations are guided by a staunch knowledge of the art field and Forsblom’s own background; his relationship with art was built early on, which is reflected in the zeal and curatorial precision of Makasiini Contemporary’s programme.

In practise, it is also visible in Makasiini Contemporary’s collaborations and regular participation in international art fairs as well as the way Finnish artists are placed in dialogue with international practitioners. For the gallery, active exchange of ideas, current themes and artistic thinking across borders is paramount.

This spirit of exchange also shapes the gallery’s newest initiative, the Sunday Dialogues series. Held every four weeks, the event brings together exhibiting artists for an open conversation about their practices, exhibitions and the ideas shaping their work, moderated by Forsblom. “We want the gallery to be seen as an open and approachable space and a place where conversations, encounters and new openings in the field of contemporary art can happen,” stresses Forsblom.

Sampo Apajalahti, Private Melancholy. His works are based on photographs, observational drawings and imagination.

This spring’s programme

This spring, Ola Kolehmainen’s The Art of Looking and Seeing vol. 2 invited viewers into the history of Western thought and visual representation through works photographed in European museums and palaces.

Another standout this season has been Luis Olaso’s Albero, a striking series of canvases built around clear, vibrant colour surfaces overlaid with carefully balanced forms, pushing painting toward a meditative formal precision. Meanwhile, Sampo Apajalahti’s Private Melancholy moved through the intimate territory between photography, observational drawing and imagination, creating a psychologically resonant body of work.

Upcoming exhibitions continue the gallery’s momentum, with solo shows by Finnish artists including Eemil Karila, Tiina Pyykkinen, and Jaakko Hukkanen, each reflecting the gallery’s commitment to distinctive contemporary voices.
Art across borders

Makasiini Contemporary actively contributes to the circulation of contemporary art across borders through sustained engagement with international markets and institutions. “We develop long-term collaborations that support artists across different stages of their careers. We also work closely with them to strengthen their artistic development, visibility and positioning within an international context,” Forsblom says.

The gallery’s move to Helsinki has further amplified this vision. Now firmly embedded within a broader ecosystem of art, design and creative exchange, it invites visitors to experience what happens when exceptional art and meaningful conversations intertwine.