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Hipster Tallinn, Estonia! Contemporary art galleries, Telliskivi Creative City, Estonian design stores.

tallinn estonia cat mural

After the holidays and a much-needed catch up break, I’m thrilled to be on the road again!

I’m heading back to Europe this month, so I thought I’d do a final flash-back to my travels in Estonia.

Last summer,  I explored the hipster side of Tallinn — art factories, local fashion and design collectives. (Remember when I visited the Estonian Depeche Mode bar?)

goth punk miffy bunny statue

Next week, I’ll be back in the EU… this time, in the land of Miffy!

iAmsterdam is flying me to Amsterdam, where I’ll be covering the cool culture of the city. You may recall that I previously went to the Miffy / Nijntje museum in Utrecht, a kawaii dream come true. If you’re a fan of the Dutch bunny, check out these goodies below with a click:

I’m also heading to Athens, thanks to Marketing Greece! Get ready for the Acropolis, LGBT clubs and Greek island-hopping… Be sure to follow along on my Snapchat and Instagram (@lacarmina) for previews.

hipster tallinn estonia art

Now, let’s talk about Tallinn. As you can see from these photos alone, this is one hip city. My team and I encountered a burgeoning creative culture in Estonia, which is located south of Finland, north of Latvia, and west of Russia.

steampunk cybergoth building

Estonia was a “Soviet socialist republic” from 1940-1991 (gaining independence when the USSR collapsed). This era resulted in some intriguing cyberpunk relics such as this apocalyptic steam plant, which has been converted into a creative art hub. (More about this later in the post).

Telliskivi creative city

If you’re interested in Tallinn’s art scene, you’ve got to visit Telliskivi Creative City. This abandoned factory area has been reclaimed as an urban space, and is now home to the biggest artistic hub in the country.

dinosaur mural painting

Telliskivi spans 25,000 square meters, and contains over 200 independent businesses and non-profits. The crumbling structures have been converted into an artistic, alternative, public space. For example, the run-down walls by the railroad tracks are now covered in colorful murals.

Jaanus Juss Telliskivi artists

We met Jaanus Juss, the young founder and CEO of Telliskivi Loomelinnak. He talked about his vision of bringing together a wide variety of creatives, in an inspiring co-op space.

pop up shops restaurants tallinn

The “creative city” currently includes organic cafes, a printing shop, furniture makers, an antique book store, yoga studio, and childcare center. The residents also run regular dance evenings and flea markets.

hip cool tallinn estonia

The entire space is a canvas. As we walked around, we saw giant art installations and beautifully executed murals like the one above.

estonian model girl

Telliskivi has revolving pop-up stores, which give local designers a chance to showcase their handmade arts, crafts and fashion.

concrete planters, cactus pots

Love these geometric concrete cacti planters.

cute hip street art estonia

In Telliskivi, the possibilities for artistic expression are endless. We passed by ateliers, workshops, a theater, galleries…

Telliskivi factory studios

… and an architect’s studio (above). We also tasted the world’s best dark grain bread — no exaggeration — at Muhu Bakery (Muhu Pagarid). The brown rye loaves are baked fresh, with sunflower, hemp and flax seeds. Straight out of the oven, this hearty Estonian bread is a revelation!

abandoned buildings tallinn

Jaanus took us into one of the buildings that has yet to be restored. As we walked up the stairs, we glimpsed the scrawls of angels and demons. 

Telliskivi rooftop

We made it to the rooftop, where he pointed out the first graffiti in Estonia. (Street art was previously frowned upon in Tallinn.)

viewpoint tallinn estonia rooftops

We had a brilliant view of the entire collective, including the bordering train tracks and Old Town.

bicycles tallinn estonia

Back on the ground, we took a peek inside a bike shop. The skull art caught my eye.

weird cool art baltics

Telliskivi was established in 2009, but the Baltic Railway buildings date back to 1869. I’m eager to see how this vibrant, creative city will keep on evolving over time.

tallinn power plant chimney

The Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) currently have a thriving artistic scene — perhaps because these countries are now free from the USSR, and spreading their wings creatively. Cities like Tallinn are liberal, yet have a low cost of living: the perfect breeding ground for young artists.

tallinn creative hub

This is certainly the case at Tallinn Creative Hub, a center for cultural events in the heart of the city. Behind these big red doors, there are workshops, festivals, exhibits, seminars and other creative enterprises.

Tallinn City Central Power plant

This building was once the Tallinn City Central Power Station, which operated between 1913 and 1979. The current incarnation preserves the boiler room, gas reservoir and brick chimney — giving the venue a Steampunk meets Gothic vibe.

tallinn steam boiler cauldron hall

In 1977, director Andrei Tarkovsky used the power plant as the set for his cult film, “Stalker.” My jaw dropped when I walked into “Cauldron Hall” — a high-ceilinged room that looks straight out of Mad Max or Blade Runner! 

cyberpunk mad max building

These precarious, rusted ladders and balconies look like a post-apocalyptic set. It can be rented out for events — I’d have an epic “end of the world” party here.

art music studios estonia

Tallinn Creative Hub’s cavernous spaces include a Maker Lab (workshop with various machines), recording studio, and food lab (for experimenting with recipes). There’s also a community garden and cafe, free for locals to enjoy.

tallinn linnahall olympics stairs

Outside, I walked up the “stairway to nowhere” — Linnahall. It’s a large, grey, concrete staircase that doesn’t really lead to anything (how surreal and Soviet)! Linna Hall was a sports venue built for the 1980 Olympics, situated on the harbour, but it’s fallen into disuse today.

tali tallinn design shop

Back to Old Town, where we popped into the design store Tali. Everything here is made by local designers — jewelry, leather goods, clothing, and furniture.

baltic art boutique

I’m a fan of modern Estonian designs, which tend to have minimal, geometric forms (as characteristic of Northern Europe). The works are stylish, yet with a sense of humor.

wood wooden bow ties

The cute animal sleep masks and wooden bow ties were among my favorites, and are great souvenirs.

estonian design house

We also paid a visit to Estonian Design House, home to several studios and the headquarters of the Estonian Association of Designers.

hip clothing store tallinn

There’s an impressive selection of upcycled fashion, quirky lighting, hipster backpacks, sleek jewelry and posters.

Stella Soomlais studio leather fashion

Upstairs, I got a tour of Stella Soomlais studio. She makes custom leather accessories for men and women, such as the sleek black wallet I’m holding.

octopus head weird art

I love how Estonian art isn’t afraid to “keep it weird.” The octopus and rooster-headed photographs made me laugh.

crazy strange baltic art

Last stop: the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM). This non-profit initiative has a DIY feeling, with a cafe in the entrance hall, and an adorable flower garden in the back.

estonian painter Alice Kask

We saw the self-titled solo exhibition of Alice Kask, an Estonian painter. Her works use materials such as old wooden boards, which stand out against the stark, industrial walls.

estonian artists

Alice Kask’s works have elements of surrealism, which I love. They touch upon themes such as the body, media images, and symbolism vs reality.

tallin modern art museum

The Contemporary Art Museum of Tallinn brings in works both from Estonia and worldwide. Their rotating exhibitions always have a strong voice.

contemporary art Museum of Tallinn

Her painting style is striking and a bit unnerving. Alice depicts human bodies with realistic strokes, but then gives them a bizarre twist and surrounds them in abstract space.

estonia modern painters

Isn’t the art scene in Estonia intriguing? Thanks to Visit Tallinn for inviting us, and showing us around.

(All photos by Borderless Media.)

visit tallinn travel bloggers

For more, check out my post about Estonian cuisine and the Depeche Mode bar here.

And now, I’m off to Europe again… dancing with joy. Can’t wait to share travel stories from Amsterdam and Athens with you soon! 

23 Comments

  1. MinionsFan
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 1:13 am | Permalink

    GREAT! Welcoming you back to Europe.

  2. Sweetie Pie
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 1:13 am | Permalink

    that cat mural omg!

  3. Jia
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 1:13 am | Permalink

    looks like a cool city, i am admitting i never heard of tallinn before (hides)

  4. MarTiN
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 1:14 am | Permalink

    Good afternoon from Estonia.

  5. Chris Rhythmdoctor
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 1:30 am | Permalink

    you missed the 1st shop to focus purely on estonian design. nu nordik was established more than 10 years ago at vabaduse valjak, 8, by a group of designers.

    https://www.facebook.com/Nu-Nordik-147088663521/?fref=ts

    • lacarmina
      Posted March 10, 2017 at 4:08 am | Permalink

      Ah, thanks for letting me know! This looks wonderful!

  6. Kara
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 4:04 am | Permalink

    Wow
    Big thanks for spreading the word

  7. Miraaim
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 4:04 am | Permalink

    Love that you love Tallinn.

  8. Sara Nena
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 8:11 am | Permalink

    lovely nailart…as always

    http://7-sevendays.blogspot.it/

  9. sheh
    Posted March 10, 2017 at 7:31 pm | Permalink

    loves it and nice, greece <3

  10. Cher
    Posted March 11, 2017 at 3:55 pm | Permalink

    Bon voyage!

  11. Sharon
    Posted March 13, 2017 at 10:14 pm | Permalink

    Wow, so impressed with Estonia’s progress and amazing future. I want to visit. Little known great country! #Estonia

  12. Lais
    Posted March 13, 2017 at 10:14 pm | Permalink

    Those murals ⭐️

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