In this episode, Roland-Philippe Kretzschmar meets with Frej Forsblom a Finnish gallerist and the founder of Makasiini Contemporary, which he established in Turku in 2016. With a clear international outlook from the outset, Makasiini has developed into one of the more dynamic contemporary art platforms in Finland, working with a new generation of artists while actively positioning them within a broader European and global context.
Before founding Makasiini, Frej was closely connected to the Finnish gallery landscape through Galerie Forsblom, gaining early insight into the mechanics of building and sustaining an international gallery program. With Makasiini, however, he has shaped a distinct identity — one that is less tied to legacy structures and more attuned to the shifts in how artists, galleries, and collectors operate today.
The gallery’s program spans painting, sculpture, and conceptual practices, with a particular sensitivity to materiality, narrative, and emerging artistic voices. At the same time, it reflects a strategic understanding of how to operate from a smaller market like Finland while remaining globally relevant.
In this conversation, Frej Forsblom speaks about building a gallery from the ground up, the realities of working within the Nordic ecosystem, and the evolving role of the gallerist in a market that is increasingly international, network-driven, and relationship-based. We also touch on artist development, collector behaviour, and what it takes to create momentum beyond the traditional centres of the art world.
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