Exhibition Review: MUDE Lisbon: TAP Portugal: Identity and Design of the National Airline 1945–2015

08.09.2015

A new exhibition at the Museu do Design e da Moda in Lisbon, Portugal’s premier art and design museum, focusses on the history and design of the country’s national airline, TAP Portugal. This year the nation’s flag carrier celebrates its seventieth birthday.

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The airline was founded in 1945, beginning operations a year later. The exhibition celebrates the airline from its inception to the present day, focussing particularly on the design of the airline’s identity, uniform, cabin interiors and even cutlery. The five distinct corporate identities that the company has adopted are explored, focussing on the ideological, political and economic contexts in which they were designed. This approach is adopted over numerous other areas of the brand; of course Field Grey were particularly excited about the broad range of stewardess uniforms featured in the show.

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Original tiling from TAP locations, sculptures and tapestries are also on display. The exhibition provides a wonderful insight into the impact and dissemination of Portuguese culture across the world over the last 70 years.

The exhibition runs until 1 November; for more information visit the website.

Exhibition images by Hanna Sahlén for Field Grey; all other images courtesy Museu do Design e da Moda.