I love to visit Grafiikanpaja Himmelblau – printmaking studio ”sky blue” – once in a while and allow myself to get absorbed into the atmosphere of the prints and the art currently exhibited there.

The place itself is unique. In the old factory, you can watch Tammerkoski rapids flush by behind the windows just in the place where the city of Tampere was developing in the 1800s. You can see the printmakers at work and ask them questions about how they do it and about the artists who made the original carving from which they make the prints.

The exhibitions often continue at another nearby spot: just take the lift up and enter a big gallery on the floor 2B. In that part, the prints are hung on the wall like in any normal art museum, and there is also a room where there are often multimedia artworks like films in the old factory hall.

If you happen to have spare money, these prints can also be bought, but the exhibition itself is free. I like to go there alone and take my time to sit around and experience the artworks in peace. But if I go there with a friend, it is nice to share our thoughts and feelings. During summer, the whole area of this Finlayson factory is turned into a free art experiencing area (FAA) which you should definitely visit even if you’re just an ordinary art user like me.