Not Quite is a parrot in the forest
Not Quite is a silver thread in the rag board
Not Quite is a little bit of New York
in the middle of the periphery
Since 2002, Not Quite has been a culture center growing in a picturesque mill town in Northern Dalsland. In the heart of Fengersfors artists, designers and craftsmen of various kinds have set up their studios and workshops in the old brick paper factory. Now smoke and steam can be seen rising from pottery ovens, forges, carpenters’ hot saws and a bakery. There are also exhibition spaces, an art gallery and an arts and craft boutique. Exhibitions show photography, sculpture, painting, installations, and performance. Members of Not Quite also hold courses, workshops and other participatory events for visitors to the factory.
Not Quite has also become one of the most popular destinations in the region for locals and tourists. The creative environment and feel of the old factory makes for a special place to have a nice lunch or dinner, or to relax with a coffee and some delicious pastries baked in a wood fired oven at Brukets Godaste. There are also live music events like Not Quite Roots, Opera at the Paper Mill, and concerts in the Café. Checkout the blog for events happening around the factory.
Not Quite is situated in a beautiful forest of Dalsland and can be found at the old paper mill in Fengersfors.
Opening Speach -Tom Cubbin
When I was asked this question, I started to think about what it is that really makes me return here, year after year. For some people, it is the opportunity to combine a cozy coffee with a bit of culture. For others, it may be to stay in the mighty industrial premises and feel the presence of history.
But for me it’s about something else.
It’s about a feeling that I experience all too rarely. It arises when independent artists, craftsmen and designers have created their own conditions for a long time. Here you encounter an artistic practice that is autonomous, authentic and at the same time deeply rooted in the place. And that’s exactly what makes Not Quite unique in an increasingly institutionalized art world.
The courage that exists here is also worth stopping by. The decision to buy Strand’s carpentry and develop the business further was not obvious. But every time I’m there I’m struck by the power that has created new studios and new opportunities. That driving force comes from Not Quite’s members. It is concrete, alive and bigger than abstract concepts such as rural development. This is culture that is happening in the present.
When I look at this year’s program, I also see something more. A theme that not only reflects our time, but that helps us ask bigger questions. What does it mean to create? What does it mean to be human?
And perhaps those questions are more important than ever.
We live in a time where art is increasingly expected to justify its value through its function. In Sweden, there is talk of art as a tool for strengthening democracy, or even as part of total defense. And of course, there is some truth in that.
But I was thinking about something else last week. I was looking at music festivals I want to go to this summer. One of them had the theme of peace. They wrote that meetings between people not only create music, but also understanding, listening and community. That this is peace in practice. Even if the world around us is not peaceful, art can create peace within us. In the mind, in the body, in the community.
And that’s where I think we need to land.
Creating meeting places around art is not about defense or preparedness. It’s about peace.
And it is precisely the rare autonomy that exists here at Not Quite that makes it possible. Here we can, if only for a moment, experience freedom, presence and something resembling peace.
This year’s program contains many such opportunities. Glimpses of hope, of creativity and of new encounters.
With these thoughts, I would now like to declare this year’s exhibition season inaugurated.
Thank you. (Tom Cubbin, season opening 2 May 2026)