Updated: July 2023.
You find Fotografiska, a photographic art centre,
in Telliskivi Creative City. This is the creative hub of Tallinn, created by entrepreneurs,
artisans and designers. Designs, food and wares are offered in small shops
housed in revamped industrial buildings. We live in different times now;
factories usually aren't of much use anymore. It is a delight to see when
towns, investors, and architects honour the past while creating a future with
new life in old derelict industrial sites.
Some people have a vision. This place is all about that. Fotografiska is a place where a dream became a reality. The centre was created by Estonian entrepreneurs, the founders of Fotografiska Tallinn are Maarja Loorents and Margit Aasmäe. They brought Fotografiska, a form of a franchise model, to Estonia. Fotografiska International was founded by brothers Jan and Per Broman in Stockholm in Sweden. Fotografiska Stockholm, housed in the red brick Art Nouveau Stora Tullhuset, sits directly on Stockholms harbour. The brand offers the opportunity to present international exhibitions.
The Red House, a red cubic building designed by
Estonian architects Salto and interior designer Toomas Korb is a piece of art
by itself. On entering the foyer, you stand in this wide-open space. I see this
as a modern version of an ancient Agora. There are the ticket counter, Fotografiska Tallinn’s
very own design shop and the café. This airy foyer space decorated in light
grey and white is aesthetically pleasing. The boldness of the entrance is
intriguing, and one craves to discover what is on offer in the exhibition halls
the moment you enter.
Fotografiska Tallinn - Estonia’s leading Photography Art Centre
Fotografiska Tallinn is Estonia’s leading photography art
centre where photography, design, sustainable food, and music come together in
one space. Fotografiska is more or less open 24/7, not true, it is open seven
days a week, from 9am to 11pm and at times even until 1am. Everyone is welcome
here; it is all about inclusiveness and open-mindedness. This is a place for
everyone, no matter how young or how old you are, no matter the colour of your
skin, no matter whether you are a local or a visitor to Estonia. Fotografiska
Tallinn invites everyone to join them on their photography journey. It is a space for
the curious at heart, and for all the ones who want to become more curious and
start to ask questions about the world around them. Fotografiska aims to reach
as many people as possible, they want to make visitors feel welcomed.
Fotografiska wants to inspire and tell exciting stories with ever-changing
exhibitions from local and international artists and photographers.
The Power of Photography - Fotografiska
It is not always the photography that plays the
main character in an exhibition. Many photographers aim to attract visitors
with the beauty of their work, and once they catch the visitor’s interest, they
transport their message. The world faces some serious issues, and what better
place than to learn about it in a playful way in an art exhibition.
On my visit, I instantly fall in love with the
architecture of the place. I enjoy the shown photography and lose myself in the
stories that are told. This is one of these places you want to tell the world
about. I did not expect a photography centre of this quality in a small country
like Estonia. Not at all. Not only that, you wouldn’t find this type of
photography art centre in neither Vilnius in Lithuania, Riga in Latvia nor in
Helsinki in Finland.
Strolling through the different exhibition halls
you will experience a wide range of feelings in each individual one. I can
imagine that even visitors whose biggest love is not photography will be happy
here. The power of photography and the diverse storytelling literally draws you
in. Exhibitions change frequently. Fotografiska Tallinn is an ideal place to make it a
habit to visit with a group of friends once a month. This is so much better
than watching Netflix as get together activity. One can have drinks in the
café, visit the exhibition halls and discuss the art over dinner in the
restaurant that sits on the top of Fotografiska Tallinn.
Fotografiska Tallinn Restaurant - Zero-waste and Vegetarian-friendly
The Zero-waste vegetarian-friendly rooftop restaurant,
run by Estonian Chef Peeter Pihel offers an amazing view over Tallinn. Best to
book in advance. On a little tour through the restaurant, I learn that only
minimal food waste is generated while cooking, and what is left will be turned
into compost. The compost gets delivered to the farmers who provide ingredients
for the restaurant. Flower boxes were made from an old church tower's tin
sheets. Bread trays are made from used oven plates. The restaurant aims to
follow sustainable principles in everything they do. So inspiring, and a
further topic to discuss over dinner or lunch. Fotografiska Tallinn Restaurant.
Hours: Lunch 12pm to 3.30pm. Drinks and snacks 3.30pm to 6pm. Dinner 6pm to
11pm. Phone +372 57450922.
Exhibition “Wonderland” by Kirsty Mitchell
"Mitchell embarked on the intensive 5-year
project in the summer of 2009, a few months after her mother had tragically
died of cancer in 2008. It became her escape from a painful reality as she
sought her way back to the fairy tale world they shared throughout her
childhood. In the woods around her home, the characters from Mitchell's
imagination were given free roam in front of the camera." Please visit
Kirsty Mitchell's website for more information and to buy her book and other
artworks. Please note that all of the following images are photos taken of the photos seen at the exhibition 'Wonderland' at Fotografiska Tallinn. Keep in mind that exhibitions at Fotografiska Tallinn change frequently.
Exhibition 'Sea of Artifacts' by Mandy Barker
“I see my role as an interpreter, to be aware of
the facts about the harmful effects of marine plastics, to understand the facts
and to present them in an accessible way, and through the research and my work,
help to connect the science to a wider audience, and hopefully in some way
change things for the better." Please visit Mandy Barker’s website for
more information and to buy her book. Please note that all of the following images are photos taken of the photos seen at the exhibition 'Sea of Artifacts' at Fotografiska Tallinn. Keep in mind that exhibitions at Fotografiska Tallinin change frequently.
Information Fotografiska. Telliskivi 60a/8, 10412
Tallinn, Estonia. Fotografiska
Tallinn is open seven days a week from 10am to 11pm please check the
website for detailed information). Tickets: Adults EUR 14. Family EUR 28.
Children of up to 12 years of age free. Top tip: Get a membership card.
Exhibitions change every few weeks. Whereby exhibition rooms get the complete
makeover within a few days. It can happen that when you visit one week it will
be the work of a different photo artist on offer only one week later.
If you can’t visit Fotografiska in Tallinn just yet, you can visit the one in Stockholm in Sweden and in New York City. Plans to open Fotografiska in Berlin are underway. I have been told they open their doors to the public in the very near future.
In case you visit Tallinn in winter, see whether
the Tallinn Christmas market is on. Read Travel Estonia – Visit the Tallinn
Christmas Market on The Touristin.
From Berlin with love