Tara: Then and Now, Here and There

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

＂Tara,＂ Lithuanian for container or packaging, was a nickname given by artists working in the graphic design field for their place of employment, the Experimental Package Design Bureau, which was established in the early 1960s in Soviet-occupied Lithuania. During its most productive period between 1964 and 1984, the bureau employed more than 50 designers, who forged the aesthetics for Lithuania’s everyday products. While the names of many of the designers have been lost, intensive research has allowed for their work to be showcased in this comprehensive book. Its almost 350 illustrations guide us playfully through a glossary that serves to conceptualize Tara’s narratives, stories and identities.