Space and Form is Coming Back
Krista Kodres

	The approaching end of the Christian millennium, has induced professionals in almost all fields of life to produce something conclusive. Even those who could not find any reason to organise something together for some time are now seized by the global euphoria. For Estonian interior designers and designers who have continually avoided grand-scale events, the end of the millennium has proved too much of an attraction to resist. It has been exactly 10 years since the last all-Estonian exhibition of professional design took place.
	The Three Generations of Space and Form The background of the millennium exhibition is the history of Estonian design during the latter half of the current century. This history is very much connected with the long tradition of the Space and Form exhibition. Space and Form I took place in Tallinn in 1969, and the last - the fifth exhibition - was held in 1989. The birth and repetition of this event has provided local designers of objects and space with a means for self-identification: there were those who were involved in Space and Form, and then there were the others. Participation in Space and Form thus determined the status of a designer within his profession. For a society that had been brutally incorporated into the Soviet Union, Space and Form was an assurance that Estonians could do the same things as the West, further distinguishing themselves from the Soviet Union. The cultural paradigm in Soviet Estonia that the totalitarian regime had ideologised all spheres of life and each of those offered quiet resistance is reason to stress the latter thought repeatedly. 'The counter-language' in art, architecture and design consisted of visual means used by Western culture in which, historically, Estonia considered it belonged. The joint aim of the exhibitions - to do things differently - united three generations of Estonian designers. Many of those who had participated in the first exhibitions had the experience of Stalinist neo-classicist canons; they discovered 20th century design in the late 1950s and early 1960s. With the rise of modernism, which had been forbidden until then, Bauhaus, Corbusier, Aalto and Jacobsen emmerged. Amongst the discoveries during this period were 'empty space' and its structural essence, geometrical form without decor, and pure material. People believed in their socio-psychological potential just as firmly as the early modernists in the 1920s. Similarly, Estonian designers of the 1960s, captivated by the possibility of having 'a socialism with a human face', also believed that society shared their fascination with modernism. The exposition of the first Space and Form wanted to demonstrate professionals' readiness to make the world a better place.
	The second Space and Form, in 1972, had already lost much of the optimism of the previous one. The Prague Spring and the Soviet Estonian economic reality were dampening the hopes that a designer could change society. They planted the first seeds of doubt - does this society need design to offer innovative product solutions at all? Against the background of the dull, ever-deepening standardisation of Soviet architecture and product design, was one of the main ideologues of Space and Form, Bruno Tomberg, professor at the State Art Institute. In 1965, he founded the first department of design in the Soviet Union and put their aims into words: "The present exhibition has a purely experimental character... By means of form, colour and space, design strives to express moods. In each separate case, the solution can only be concrete, original, fresh." By 1972, it was abundantly clear that Soviet industry, which was stealing models from the West, was not in the least interested in any kind of innovation. Design fantasies in pop-art style remained mostly on paper and perhaps only one out of a hundred was actually realised by Soviet Estonian industry. In the end, Estonian designers tried to escape from industry to find work at the state cooperative of art products called Ars, which designed and made only unique objects. The third Space and Form exhibition, in 1976, was clearly focused on two interests: expressing the general ideas of design, and producing, by means of applied art, an original object. Even the most complicated and time-consuming objects were prepared for the '76 exhibition, which favoured neomodernist solutions; it was visually quite attractive. The above-mentioned Ars, which often took commissions from all-union higher authorities, was able to provide its designers with the necessary equipment to execute their experimental production. Local art policy also favoured the organisation of exhibitions, paradoxically for the same reasons as local designers - to demonstrate to everybody, including the Western world, that 'we can do this too'. In the 1970s-80s, the Ars-style became a term in its own right, which embodied the best that Estonian product design had to offer.
	At the time of the fourth Space and Form, in 1984, Soviet society had sunk into a period of lethargy; the perception of the system had become automatic, and nobody believed that things were going to change any more. Estonian architects and designers, having drawn fresh strength and inspiration from the West, changed their direction of development; this occurred mostly via magazines, which still saw a new chance in postmodernism. They began to go through the familiar scenario once again, albeit equipped with new means. The trend of form, which quoted classical art, made it possible to speak about traditions and the necessity of a product culture which would suit the visual environment. At the same time, the problem of the autonomy of the design/designer, and the artistic potential of a functional object itself, became ever more acute. At the 1989 Space and Form exhibition, the line between art, design and an item as an object with artistic traits was sharply delineated due to the influence of third generation of designers. Immediately after Space and Form IV, in the mid 1980s, these designers created quite a design boom in Estonia. A group of recent graduates from the higher art school that added new members all the time, organised several exhibitions each year; they openly stressed their connectedness with international trends. The first 'capitalist' Finns already took part in the exhibitions, signifying that the last stage of the perestroika was under way. Objects with 'memphisque' bravura à la Ettore Sottsasi were realised with the help of Ars, especially because cheap, painted laminate sheets were in fashion at the time. This material could be obtained in the Soviet Union, where only one design institute in Moscow was actually experimenting with materials. Those eager for new materials had wood, plywood, tin plate, iron, glass and other 'banalities' at their disposal.
	Ten years in the Republic of Estonia without Space and Form The period until the present joint undertaking, organised by the Estonian Interior Designers' Association, has been a time of most turbulent changes for Estonian society. It could not have passed without leaving its mark on the professional world of industrial and interior design, and on the relationship between society and design. The very essence of a social commission has changed radically. In a society where the structure is undergoing intensive diversification, a need for expressing many different identities has emerged. It is obvious that this society has already accepted design as a phenomenon which can produce certain visual images. On the other hand, there is the problem of a client's competence and dubious taste. An interior decorator, with his usually rather moderate experience and professional training, is often unable to resist a client's coarse wishes when supported by his bulky wallet.
	Another new phenomenon is the abundance of items. The onslaught of international design has 'unarmed' local product designers; it seems as if everything has already been designed by somebody else. A state funded experimental studio like Ars does not exist in Estonia any more, consequently, designers do not receive any encouragement. Larger furniture and lamp producers are not interested in organising competitions to get new ideas either. Those who would like to experiment with something innovative, generally lack money, the technical basis and management. Successful designers in the industry are naturally guarding their territory jealously. Luckily, there are a few exceptions.
	The Return of 'Space and Form' At the end of the millennium, Space and Form is finally coming back to display the face of changed times. The large, general exhibition, referred to simply by the key word 'NEW', is open to everybody. Space and Form 2000 will contain numerous small-scale exhibitions uniting various circles of friends, generations, and trends, in almost every art gallery in Tallinn. A prominent guest artist from Finland will be participating in the event as well - Stefan Lindfors. The central concept of the whole programme is the usage of different media: electronic art, music and the art of lighting. Diverse aspects of product design will be revealed primarily through the relations between space, colour and light. Perhaps the most significant aim of Space and Form 2000 is to investigate Estonians' attitudes towards space and products. The video project How does an Estonian live? takes a look at the contemporary Estonian's everyday life and Interiors in Estonian Film demonstrates the scenic aspect of interiors. The exhibition 20th Century Space in Estonia finally presents an idea of the kind of environment Estonians have wanted, or have been able to afford; it displays items, historical photographs, and projects about each decade of the concluding century. How sensitive are we today towards the visual environment surrounding us, and what kind of space do we wish to see around us? What does an Estonian designer aspire to and what is he capable of? The return of Space and Form will likely provide answers to some of these questions.
	| Estonian Art 2/99 (6) | Published by the Estonian Institute 1999 | ISSN 1406-5711 | einst@einst.ee | tel: (372) 631 43 55 | fax: (372) 631 43 56 |