Vilnius Ad Campaign | 1
Back in 2018, Vilnius presented a very controversial ad campaign (developed by a tourism agency Go Vilnius) which stated that Vilnius is the G-spot of Europe. Posters advertising the Lithuanian capital appeared in Berlin and London in summer 2018 and immediately went viral. The campaign has caught the attention of international media and has even been featured on ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’. Additionally, it has been named the best ad at the International Travel & Tourism Awards 2018.
Why is Vilnius the G-spot of Europe you may ask? Because nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it's amazing.
The Vogue Italia published an unexpected yet very impactful issue cover of their magazine this April. Vogue is famous for its covers of celebrities (models, actors, singers, scientists, etc.) However, the April issue, due to current events in the world, was a completely blank cover.
The magazine felt that at this uncertain time white would have many various meanings:
- Paying respect
- Rebirth or the light after the darkness
- Colour of the uniforms worn by those working in hospitals
- A blank canvas for unlimited time and new ideas
- Purity and hope
Most importantly, 'white is not surrendered, but a blank sheet waiting to be written, the title page of a new story that is about to begin.'
Not a certain book in particular but pop-up books have a real sentiment to me. Growing up I owned quite a few and always preferred them over ordinary children's books. Pop-ups were and still seem like a modern and more interactive, innovative version of a book to me as you not only get to see the flat illustration but a touchable 3D version of it that makes the book come alive. It is more entertaining for a child and holds his interest for longer.
Viewing it from a becoming designer's perspective I see these pop-up books more as a work of art rather than plain entertainment for children as it is extremely difficult paper folding and thought behind it. Many of them require hours of practice and designing as it has to fold into a regular book format before seeing the finished product.
This form of a book might not necessarily be connected to publishing but I find it interesting to share as I do not see it that often anymore. I think it is a bit underrated form of art and should be incorporated more into today's books (in fact, the first highly praised pop-up book wasn't for children - in 1543 Andreas Vesalius printed 'De Humani Corporis Fabrica Librorum Epitome', a human anatomy book for medical students full of interactive pop-up illustrations).
To mark the International Day Against Homophobia, the National LGBT* Rights Organization LGL decorated the crossing outside its office in Vilnius, Lithuania in rainbow colors. The crosswalk was painted as a gesture to the LGBT* community to show that Vilnius is open to everyone no matter what their sexuality and beliefs are.
The crosswalk which is located in the old town was highly covered on social media and cherished by many people. However, some felt disturbed as they are against the LGBT* community and wanted the crossing painted over.
This kind of 'publishing' which is not necessary a print of any kind, still sends a message to the community and the word spreads fast.
What A Book Is
Reading Ulises Carrión's text 'The New Art of Making Books' made quite an impact on these 6 images task. I found her thoughts very interested and different from what I personally thought about books and her insights made me change my perspective radically. Her perception of the writer as a bookmaker really makes a lot of sense. Back in the day, writers would only write a text which would then be copied and handwritten by monks, etc. whereas now a writer needs to not only think about the quality and meaningfulness of the text but the meaning of the book as an object and idea behind its format, design, etc. in correlation to its audience. In other words, the publishing of it is not just an extra task to do, it is one of the key points of the whole process which determines the success of the product (creation) itself.
Additionally, as this text might be about books, you can easily apply it to other forms of art. That is why I decided not only to concentrate on print in this task but rather to find some examples and works that I myself have known from before and not necessarily while researching the project. These include adverts, merchandise, street art which all require some kind of publishing. Some of them are using public spaces as a publishing measure, the others are published online ...
A project 'Nebegeda' which was developed a few years ago became a sensation in Lithuania in no time. Three bold women sharing similar ideas decided to create an Instagram which talks about sexuality, body empowerment, masturbation, etc. It has now developed into a podcast on Spotify, a Youtube channel and a website sharing readers' stories, interviewing specialists, and even selling sex toys for both women & men. This project leads many Lithuanians, especially women, to feel confident and empowered to talk about their bodies with pride.
The photo above is a graphic t-shirt sold on their website which reads 'Period' in Lithuanian and speaks out for all the girls who were taught that the menstrual cycle is something which is not meant to talk about loudly and is gross. I find the t-shirt kind of silly yet spreading a clear statement.
Jolita Vaitkute is a well-known Lithuanian artist for her talent to create artworks from everyday objects & food. These two portraits made back in 2018 were her insight on a political situation in Lithuania and newly (back then) elected government. The artist, in a way, published and expressed her political opinion through these portraits of political 'clowns' Agne Sirinskiene (an official in the government known for being against premarital sex and contraception) and Ramunas Karbauskis (an official in the government who is against the legalization of medical cannabis) who are made fun of and condemned on social media for their stubbornness to listen to people and their needs.