Viscosa Transformed Into a Year-round Cultural Oasis on Hiiumaa

Text Timo Raussi

Photos Airi Leon ja Viscosa Kultuuritehas

Located around 20 kilometres west of Kärdla, the main town of Hiiumaa, and 25 kilometres from the airport, Viscosa Kultuuritehas will reopen to the public in Kõrgessaare on 20 June following an extensive renovation lasting almost a year. The former industrial property, which has served as a venue for arts and cultural events during the past three summers, has now been redesigned to support local entrepreneurs and tourists throughout the year. At the same time, the 38-bed hotel 4Sterni will also open on the premises.

The Viscosa factory was originally built in the early 20th century with the ambition of producing artificial silk, or viscose, for export markets. After a successful trial batch, history disrupted those plans through wars, changes of ownership and long periods of silence, but the positive energy of the site is believed never to have disappeared. The EU-funded renovation has created a 200-seat theatre hall, galleries, a restaurant, hotel facilities, various workspaces, studios and conference rooms, as well as accommodation for artists staying for longer periods.

The reopening of Viscosa will be celebrated on 20 June with the one-day Suvesumin festival. The musical highlight of the day will be provided by Duo Ruut, consisting of Ann-Lisett Rebane and Katariina Kivi, while the festival will also serve as the opening event for the exhibition “Baltic New Painting”. The exhibition features works by nearly 150 artists aged 15–40 from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The intimate personal stories within the works, along with broader layers of time and society, are reflected in the exhibition’s subtitle “OK. SMS. WIFI.”, words that transcend language barriers and are written exactly the same way in all Baltic languages.

On the opening day, visitors can also explore Maarja Meeru’s textile art installation “Reflections”, which plays with light, space and perspective, as well as a solo exhibition of vividly coloured paintings by Robert Nõgisto at the Art Cafe restaurant. The Viscosa team is also preparing the exhibition “La Viscosa – Textile Factory”, opening later this year in cooperation with the Estonian Textile Artists Association, combining elements of Hiiumaa’s industrial cultural heritage with contemporary textile art.

“We are not content with being merely a cultural centre. Our aim is to take an active part in everything on Hiiumaa that touches people’s minds and senses. We want to serve visitors seeking experiences, artists, as well as partners from many different fields,” says Viscosa representative Kirsti Villard.

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Art Exhibition cultural factory events Festival Hiiumaa Kõrgessaare Viscosa