I took off to Ornskoldsvik which is a smallish town in North Sweden. 29000 inhabitants, snow drifts, a ski-jump which dominates the edge of the city and one, fine collective printsstudio named ‘The Culture Factory’. I became a true cultural worker assisting master printer Stefano Beccari with a monumental printmaking workshop. The week resulted in a sort of existential detox.My existence became printmaking, conversations and snowlined silence.

The Culture Factory is run by a dedicated voluntary team of people who for 30 years have built towards their vision resulting in a shared working space. It is harmonious and well -equipped.The space is grounded in creativity and community,and I long to return to work, staying in the guest-flat above. Existence is stripped of the big city frenzy,and here it is just about making the image, and it fine to be kind to strangers while letting the universe of imagination unfold and flow within as the town bumbles on next to the fjord. Rivers make this town possible.

That makes me think that this year wil be all about ‘flow’ and water is its central theme. Preparing for the Littoral Show in Bristol and starting work on oversized prints with Stefano Beccari on ’sewage’. The existential detox continues through the medium of printmaking.

And here is the story:
Arriving at Arlanda airport’s train station platform. No chance for a hustle and bustle.

Taking the train from Stockholm Central Station. Last moment for relishing crowds before the emptiness of the north.

First look at ‘The Culture Factory’, perfect for an art-nomad: step of the the train and roll on with a 10 kg wheelie-bag in through the gallery:

Surroundings are suitably snowed in - although this time of the year is supposedly called late-winter-early-spring.

The fjord.

Center of town.

Master printer Stefano Beccari who joyfully battles with monumental prints up to 2.5 meters.At this moment resting.

The heart of the studio- the giant press!

A print drying by one of the eight artist-participants.

I discovered that The Culture Factory has a fully equipped letterpress set-up with an array of presses and an extensive font collections. So I met Maestro Number 2: Christer who helped me completing a five colour mini-print amidst the monumental workshop print activities using a letterpress for linocut relief print.

Maestro Christer at the press reminding me that in print- preparation , registration and perfection is the only way.

Preparing setting up the linocut, and the cradle for the block.In the end- it wasn’t perfect.

And then the end- a series of three prinst on show for one day in the gallery by one of the participants.