Tiit Pääsuke “Nostalgialess”

In the autumn of 2020, an extensive and colourful exhibition “Nostalgialess” was opened in Tartu Art Museum displaying the works of one of the best colourists of Estonia, Tiit Pääsuke (born 1941) from the 1960s to the present day.

What makes the exposition special is its location. When Tiit Pääsuke started his journey in 1957 as a student at Tartu Art Museum, in that classicist mansion built in the end of the 18th century and now an art museum building, there was a dormitory for the boys of a music and art school. This period of his life has been given special attention: the visitor will get an idea of the atmosphere of that time and there are some works from the time of his studies that are rarely shown on exhibitions.

A comprehensive publication in Estonian and English was added to the exhibition where you can find a versatile selection of texts, lots of photos and a rich choice of reproductions of the works of Pääsuke. We worked closely with Tiit Pääsuke and Joanna Hoffmann, the curator of the exhibition when designing both the exposition as well as the book. The design is based on the title of the exhibition “Nostalgialess” depicting the self-irony of the artist, because it is difficult to imagine something more nostalgic than a retrospective exhibition in one’s childhood home.

Our common wish was to create a catalogue and exhibition that was dignified and neutral, meaning it would not overshadow the nature of the works but rather show it using a minimalist design. Also, to present a beautiful and versatile oeuvre of an artist who has been working for relatively many years to both long-time admirers as well as first time discoverers of the works of Pääsuke.

Papers in different shades have been used in the publication so that it would be easier to find one’s way in those 347 pages and to differentiate between content and languages.