Tara: Then and Now, Here and There

Tara: Then and Now, Here and There: Archives and Practices of the Experimental Design Bureau in Vilnius 1960s–1980s

Lithuania’s leading Soviet-era design bureau lives on through its playful, down-to-earth packaging

“Tara” was the nickname given by artists working in the graphic design field for their place of employment – the Experimental Package Design Bureau, established in the early 1960s in Soviet-occupied Lithuania. It was related to the modernisation processes, the increasing range of goods, the Soviet “Art for Everyday Life” programme, and the objectives of the Cold War. During its most productive period, from 1964 to 1984, the bureau employed over fifty designers, including a particularly large number of women, who shaped the aesthetics of everyday products. While many of the designers’ names, events, and works sank into obscurity, the editors’ extensive research has initiated an ongoing exploration, compiled and showcased in this comprehensive publication.

With around 350 illustrations, the book introduces a playful way of exploring the Tara bureau’s projects through thematic ABC chapters and Glossary navigation that contextualize Tara’s narratives, stories, and identities.

COLOPHON

editors Karolina Jakaitė, Deimantė Jasiulevičiūtė
texts Karolina Jakaitė
reviewed by prof.dr. Lolita Jablonskienė (Vilniaus dailės akademija), prof. dr. Giedrė Jankevičiūtė (Lietuvos kultūros tyrimų institutas)
additional essay Paul Gangloff
editorial design Deimantė Jasiulevičiūtė
graphic design Zuzana Kostelanská with Oriol Cabarrocas

translated from Lithuanian Laima Bezginaitė
English language editing Tania Theodorou
intitutional partners: Design foundation (LT), Vilnius Academy of Arts (LT), LAPAS Publishing House (LT). 

ISBN 978-395-905-860-5

306 psl., 209.5x209.5x20 mm, 1,1 kg
minkštas įrišimas, spalvotos iliustracijos

Spector Books, 2025 m. vasaris

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