14-15 March: Bookbinding workshop led by Ukrainian artist Katya Lesiv

In the Bookbinding workshops, participants will learn the art of bookbinding by exploring two different techniques and structures. Different types of paper, needles and glue become especially familiar with the participants. By the end of the workshop, participants will have acquired the knowledge and skills required to create their own self-published editions. This workshop is especially handy for crafty DIY individuals who like to work with their hands and create one of a kind artefacts.

About the teacher:

Katya Lesiv (b. 1993) is a visual artist and photographer based in Finland. Her practice explores themes of cyclicality, physicality, emotional experience, and motherhood through analog photography, artist books, installation, text, and moving image. Books play a central role in her work, frequently becoming the final form of her projects.

The workshop will be taught in English.

10 April: Cameraless photography workshop led by Finnish artist Martti Jämsä

The Cameraless photography workshop, also known as the Chemigram workshop, focuses on the reaction that occurs when darkroom chemicals, different resists, and photosensitive materials interact. The gist of the chemigram printing is to paint with darkroom chemistry and see what happens. This workshop is ideal for those with a curious mind and a willingness to experiment, as the creative process itself takes precedence over achieving a perfect outcome. The participants of the workshop will learn how to create unique, abstract prints.

About the teacher:

Martti Jämsä is a pioneer of the cameraless photography process within the field of Finnish art. He is a photographic artist who has been experimenting with different darkroom techniques since the early 2010s. He has also published numerous photography books. The most recent of these is Horizon, which was published in 2025. This book contains images created using only cameraless processes.

Teaching also in English.

13-14 April: Silver mirroring workshop led by Chinese artist Lexy Liangzi Xiao

Participants in this workshop will learn the intricacies of the silver mirroring printing technique. They will learn the steps involved in the direct and indirect silver mirroring toning processes, gain insight into the necessary chemicals and materials, and observe the silver mirroring phenomenon. They will also have the opportunity to practise the technique under the guidance of an experienced instructor. This rarely taught printing process transforms basic black-and-white prints into striking metallic effects through a type of photographic decay.

About the teacher:

Lexy Liangzi Xiao is an artist and researcher living and working in Bergen, Norway, originally from Beijing. She holds an MFA in Fine Art from the Art Academy in Bergen and a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Photography from Camberwell College of Arts. She plays a central role in the artist-run darkroom Fotoverkstedet in Bergen. Lexy has developed the Silver Mirroring Toning recipes and processes, and has extensive experience in experimental analogue photography, handmade artist’s books, and teaching workshops at different levels. Her work has been exhibited widely in Norway and internationally.

The workshop will be taught in English.

25-26 April: Bromoil printing workshop led by Finnish artist Markku Joutsen

In the Bromoil printing workshop the fundamentals of the bromoil printing process are taught. Bromoil printing is a photographic process from the 20th century that transforms basic silver gelatin prints into painterly, pigment-based images. One of the key aspects of the workshop is learning how to make an ideal silver gelatin print and how to use it in the bromoil printing process. By the end of the workshop, participants will know how to produce a refined bromoil print and how to adapt the printing process to their own artistic vision.

About the teacher:

Markku Joutsen is a photographic artist whose career has focused on darkroom work and different printing techniques. He has worked with and refined his skills in the bromoil printing technique for years, and it is especially central to his work. Joutsen’s work has been exhibited throughout Finland and around the world since the 1980s.

Teaching also in English.

2-3 May: Advanced techniques of silver gelatin printing workshop led by Finnish artist Martti Jämsä

The Advanced techniques of the silver gelatin printing process are in the centre of this workshop. Dodging, burning, split grading and bleaching are some of the terms and techniques that will become familiar during the workshop. This workshop is intended for those who would like to master the silver gelatin printing process without being overly meticulous. By the end of the workshop, participants will have acquired the skills needed to produce a perfected silver gelatin print.

About the teacher:

Martti Jämsä is a pioneer of the cameraless photography process within the field of Finnish art. He is a photographic artist who has been experimenting with different darkroom techniques since the early 2010s. He has also published numerous photography books. The most recent of these is Horizon, which was published in 2025. This book contains images created using only cameraless processes.

Teaching also in English.