A view from our tower. In the red brick heart of Tampere cotton was made no more than 30 years ago. Nowadays there is no cotton factory, but something completely different.

Story and picture: Niina Virtanen, the editor-in-chief of Taf Magazine


In 1819 a man called James Finlayson came to Tampere from Scotland to sell bibles, and found his way to the shore of Tammerkoski. A year later the Scot decided to use the advantage the rapids offered, and started a workshop and a foundry next to it, but decided to change the property into a cotton factory in 1828. For approximately 160 years the factory produced cotton and fabrics to the masses, but in the 1980's the work in the factory was decreasing, and it was time to make room for new life.

One factory was named Seelanti in its birth year in 1865. Seelanti come across a big change in the year 2000, when new residents took over. A herd of never before seen creatures came in carrying cameras, paintbrushes, lights, computers, blank canvases, long cabels and all kinds of odd things.

The social animals of creativity wander around Seelanti still to this day, sometimes planning digital artworks, sometimes coding 3D-movies, sometimes designing Hungarian prints and fabrics. Some come to join the herd from overseas, some run away to foreign countries every now and then, but they do send messages back home to Seelanti via the smoke signals of social media.

The second official TAF Magazine introduces these animals, the current life in the cotton memories of Seelanti and the experiences of those who came abroad and those who went there.

TAF Magazine is the official magazine of Tampere Art Factory -festival and it can be found from several places from TTVO and Finlayson area. Us and the works of our kind can also be seen during this week in Tampere Art Factory exhibitions and events. A brave man will also find a way to the end of Itäinenkatu and through the big armour door to see what our species is really up to.


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TAF Magazine will also be found for dowloading soon on this blog
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