During the 2010s, many darkrooms were dismantled in institutions and universities across the Nordic countries, and the teaching of analog photography practices declined significantly. As a result, the tactile knowledge shared in community darkrooms became the most important means of preserving and further developing the art of analog photography in its various forms. The new global analog wave, fueled by the growing demand for slow and unique practices, has sparked increased interest in analog techniques among photography artists. The Nordic Analog Network was founded to respond to this demand and facilitate mobility and the sharing of knowledge among Nordic artists and communities, reaching a wider audience.

The Nordic Analog Network was founded in 2022 by CYAN Studio (Oslo, Norway) and the Finnish Darkroom Association (Helsinki, Finland). Artists Stig Marlon Weston, Natalia Kopkina, and Katri Lassila organized the first two pilot rounds for the program in 2022 with support from Nordisk Kulturfond and Norsk-Finsk Kulturfond. During the pilot rounds, two Norwegian photography artists (Silvia di Giorgi and Julie Olsen) worked in Helsinki, while two Finnish artists (Patrick Kuoppamäki and Paula Humberg) worked in Oslo, each for three weeks.

Between 2023 and 2024, a total of 20 artists participated in the residency program, which was supported by the Nordic Culture Point. To be eligible, applicants had to be living in one of the Nordic countries: Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden. The selected artists received a fee of 900€, intended to cover travel, material, and living expenses during the three-week residency period. Accommodation was provided by the darkrooms for the selected artists.

The Nordic Analog Network was established with the goal of connecting the analog photographic community across the Nordic countries and facilitating the exchange of inspiration, information, and expertise in this craft-based art form. Each hosting darkroom and visiting photographer is encouraged to share their work and process through exhibitions, workshops, public presentations, or other activities suited to the community they are part of. The partnering darkrooms are:

• Silver Lab, Denmark

• VK3, Denmark

• Mörk & Värinä, Finland

• Luovake, Finland

• SÍM, Iceland

• Cyan, Norway

• Isotop, Norway

• LKV, Norway

• Saga Photo Centre, Norway

• Björkö, Sweden

Stig Marlon Weston (Founder & Co-director) is a photographer and artist living and working in Oslo. He is a co-founder and executive director of CYAN studio community workspace with a photostudio, gallery and darkroom. Weston explores many kinds of analog processes, focusing on medium and materiality in his personal work. He studied professional photography at Strommen and Stokmarknes college in Norway and has worked as a freelance photographer for more than 20 years.

Natalia Kopkina (Founder & Co-director) is a photographer and artist living in Helsinki. She is a co-founder and executive director of the Finnish Darkroom Association and artistic director of the Helsinki Analog Festival. Kopkina works extensively with analog printing processes. Kopkina graduated with an MA in Photography from Aalto University in 2015.

Katri Lassila (Founder & Co-director) is a photography artist and one of the founding members and the president of the Finnish Darkroom Association. Katri is specialised in gelatin silver printing but works also with other analog photography techniques and digital moving image. Katri is finalizing her artistic doctoral dissertation about the image of landscape for Aalto University, Department of Film.

Jenna Jauhiainen is the Communications Specialist of the Nordic Analog Network.

The Nordic Analog Network’s two-year residency program was supported by the Nordic Culture Point (Nordic Council of Ministers). Two pilot rounds of the program were supported by Nordisk Kulturfond and Norsk-Finsk Kulturfond. Partners in the program included, apart from the darkrooms, the Helsinki International Artist Programme and Förbundet Frie Fotografer.

The jury of each darkroom independently selected the artists they would invite to work with them in 2024.

The invited artists were:

Silverlab /Copenhagen, Denmark invites: Oskar Söderman from Sweden
VK3 Printroom /Klitmoller, Denmark invites: Lia Stefanescu from Norway
Mörk /Helsinki, Finland invites: Åsmund Lahaug from Norway
Luovake/Jyväskylä, Finland invites: Emma Harris from Denmark
SÍM /Reykjavik, Iceland invites: Jenni Toivonen from Finland
CYAN /Oslo, Norway invites: Erik Gustafsson from Sweden and Vanni Jung Ståhle from Sweden
Isotop /Bergen, Norway invites: Frank Unger from Finland
LKV /Trondheim, Norway invites: Juliana Smith from Finland
SAGA /Inderoy, Norway invites: Maia Torp Neergaard from Denmark
Björkö /Stockholm, Sweden invites: Toivo Heinimäki from Finland

The jury of each darkroom independently selected the artists they would invite to work with them in 2023.

The invited artists were:

Silverlab /Copenhagen, Denmark invites: Claudia Hausfeld from Iceland
VK3 Printroom /Klitmoller, Denmark invites: Grethe Irene Einarsen from Norway
Mörk /Helsinki, Finland invites: Hallgerdur Hallgrimsdottir from Iceland
Luovake/Jyväskylä, Finland invites: Johan Buch from Denmark and Vibe Kilde from Norway
SÍM /Reykjavik, Iceland invites: Silvia De Giorgi from Norway and Mishael Oladipo Phillip Fapohunda from Denmark
CYAN /Oslo, Norway invites: Sirja Moberg from Finland and Ingrid Jacobsen from Sweden
SAGA /Inderoy, Norway invites: Selina Oakes from Finland
Björkö /Stockholm, Sweden invites: Maria Heines from Denmark and Mai Keldsen from Denmark

The jury of each darkroom independently selected the artists they would invite to work with them in 2022.

The invited artists were:

Pilot round 1 (spring)
Mörk /Helsinki, Finland invites: Silvia De Giorgi: from Norway
CYAN /Oslo, Norway invites: Patrick Kuoppamäki from Finland

Pilot round 2 (autumn)
Mörk /Helsinki, Finland invites Julie Schie Olsen from Norway
CYAN /Oslo, Norway invites: Paula Humberg from Finland