Exhibition series ‘Ruum ja Vorm’, 1969, 1972, 1976, 1984

‘Ruum ja Vorm’ (Space and Form) was an exhibition series launched in 1969 at the Tallinn Art Hall by the interior design section of the Artists’ Union of the Estonian SSR, with later editions in 1972, 1976, and 1984. Initiated by Bruno Tomberg, interior architect and head of the design department at the Estonian State Art Institute, it strove to transcend the limits of everyday practical design by presenting new analyses of spatial organization and the material environment. By creating constructions that lacked immediate functionality, the designers put the emphasis on the tactical and aesthetic qualities of the materials.

The inaugural exhibition in 1969 focused on fundamental geometric shapes, namely the square and the sphere. Designers were encouraged to build upon these foundational elements (along with cubes, right-angled prisms, and cylinders derived from them) in unconventional ways, playing with shapes, colours, and materials to produce unique solutions. The exhibition’s design was based on a modular structure, with each participant assigned an identical ‘cell’.

With the exhibition’s second edition in 1972, the focus was on experimenting with spatial experiences. Confronted by the monotonous environments of everyday modernity, the designers took up the question of more complex design approaches. Instead of imposing a rational order, they cultivated a ‘complex order’ that would allow users to have richer experiences in everyday life. Designed by Tomberg, the exhibition juxtaposed a variety of vertical planes and employed both painted and mirrored surface treatments in creating an immersive experiential environment for the visitors. The exhibition’s experimentation with human perception was well exemplified by Taimi Soo’s striking op-art installation.