The Mess is an art gallery and studio located at Katajanokka, Helsinki. Creative space founded by two sailors with a passion for art and the sea. Historical port district of the city combined with the creative background of the building itself makes it intimate and atmospheric.
The Mess hosts exhibitions, workshops, events, artist residencies and serves the creative needs of two local sailors, Tuukka and Yasa.
Our Mission
The Mess wants to provide art and culture to the neighbourhood. Personal studio for some, painting class for others. Your first ever art exhibition? A pop up for handcraft or a meditation workshop? Absolutely can be! Our intimate setup can turn into whatever you can imagine. We prefer cool ideas over boring ones, so look out for our open call and tell us your art or project.
Helsinki is filled with galleries, but there is a gap in supply. It’s either a high-end, 2 year que, expensive rent type or a corner in a bookstore or cafe. Both are cool, but what is even more cool is unique private space fully under your vision – affordably!
Come do you.
History from 1906 – Now
Jugend -styled building Luotsikatu 4 was built by merchant Hjalmar Segercrantz and architect Gustaf Estlander for a rental apartment block in 1906. The building has hosted a brewery, coffee roastery and generations of artists and creatives.
The building had three ateljeé residencies which were occupied by plethora of known artists such as painter Hugo Simberg sculptor Alpo Sailo. Viktor Janssons family also lived in the building, which makes Luotsikatu 4 the childhood home of one Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomin. The gallery space where The Mess now works, is a continuum of the colorful and vibrant history of the building Door to the space is made by carpenter Kari Virtanen.
Verstas/workshop & Avain/Key Gallery
The space itself originally worked as a personal woodworking shop of Markku Kosonen.
After upgrading into a bigger space in the same building, he had an idea of a gallery.
Markku founded Avain/Key -gallery amidst 90s depression in 1991. Idea was to present Finnish wood, paper and stone -working artists. Its idea was to function opposite compared to traditional galleries: It was never opened for a wider audience, but the (key)guests were artists’ own customers. At times Finnish companies would come in to buy presents for their partners.
Gallery worked with self-service principle – guests would come in on their own time with their own keys, pick and take the art they wanted and pay straight to the artist. This way the cost of running the gallery and price of the art was kept at minimum. At the same time guests and customers could see a wide array of art at the same time.
Artists of the Avain/Key Gallery were Markku Kosonen, Outi Leinonen, Rudi Merz, Zoltan Popvits, Ritva Puotila, Kai Rentola, Tim Steffa, Janna Syvänoja, Olli Tamminen, Ulla-Maija Vikman, Merja Winqvist, Kari Virtanen and Pekka Vuori.
All of the artists at Key Gallery were displayed at Finnish Design Institutes Design Forums collaborative exhibition “Kesä(t)yöt” in 1992. Helsingin Sanomat wrote “Key-Gallery wants to do things differently. When others close, they open. When others compete for publicity, they work covertly”. Markku also struggled with fame: “The problem is to tell as many as possible, how little publicity our gallery needs”. Six of the artists were also invited to the Finnish pavilion in Seville World Expo in 1992.
Gallery also hosted foreign artists such as the Norio Tanno woodwork exhibition in 1996. Towards the end of 90s, Markku Kosola moved into Fiskars and offered the empty gallery space to artist Rafael Wardi, who worked in the gallery for some years.
Architect office Pohjanpelto & Co.
The space was empty or worked as a warehouse throughout the 2000s. After Markku Kosonen passed away in 2010, the gallery worked as an architect company’s office.
Sources: Jussi Suomala: Luotsikatu neljä 1906-2006, Vuosisata katajanokkalaisen jugendtalon elämää. (Multikustannus, 2006)
Emma Kosonen in 2025
From Disgrace to Art Nouveau Gem – Read more about the History of Katajanokka
https://historia.hel.fi/en/alueet/southern/katajanokka-from-disgrace-to-art-nouveau-gem
