Follow the Light: voices of 'Polarisation' lighting Milan Design Week 2023

Light, across cultures, is an entity synonymous with hope, understanding, and intellect—an equaliser to the darkness of ignorance. It is only obvious then, as to why this fascinating energy has, since time immemorial, been a subject that has arrested the minds of thinkers, natural philosophers, scientists, and now, lighting designers. Tantalising minds as a treasure trove of profound thought, elusive light, now encapsulated in a shell of innovation, assumes a multitude of forms—from frameworks of sheer function to contemporary receptacles of creative effervescence. Lighting design, akin to all the creative spheres, remains in a constant state of flux, but its intangible power to not only impact but also furtively manoeuvre thoughts stands unchanged.

As Milan Design Week 2023 unfolds in its host city, the floodgates of creativity are pushed ajar and the streets are immersed in waves of artistic expression. One fragment of the design festival that is a definite head turner is its lighting biennial Euroluce, bringing to life The City of Lights, this year. Scattered across exhibitions, immersive installations and showcases, the international lighting exhibition, now in its 31^st edition, musters an eclectic array of lighting designs—architectural silhouettes, message-driven design, anticipated projects, and polarising concepts.

In scientific terms, polarised waves are light waves in which vibrations occur in a single plane. These waves travel in the same direction as recurring extremes of crests and troughs—much like the figurative extremity of polarising ideas. Looking to spotlight the inconspicuous influence of light in inducing potent emotions, we look at the design event for lighting that pushes the boundaries. Amidst a plethora of product designs that tread carefully in the limits of moderation, STIR curates a list of lighting designs that know of no temperance; we investigate designs that arrest a wandering eye and invigorate a dormant mind with responses of polarisation—communicating through the crest and troughs of ecstasy or poignancy, optimism or despair, love or hate.

'It All Comes from Above' by Lasvit

Sunlight diffusing through billowy clouds and pristine chandeliers made of billions of stars in the night sky: what better place to look for inspiration than the sky above? These seemingly commonplace phenomena became the muse for Lasvit—a Czech design house specialising in glass and lighting objects. For their lighting presentation at Euroluce 2023, befittingly titled It All Comes from Above, the design company brings together an ensemble of alluring debuts, including a large-scale installation Cloud by Maxim Velčovský, Constellation conceived by acclaimed architect David Rockwell, collections by pioneering designers Yabu Pushelberg and Campana Brothers, alongside a glimpse of its 'Icons.'

Cloud, the dynamic lighting glass installation by Velčovský takes the centre stage in the presentation, shedding light on the meditative and nostalgic aspects of watching clouds. unearthing individual perspectives meshing into something that transcends us all. Rockwell’s Constellation, a debuting family of six lighting designs, is reminiscent of New York City’s celestial landscape, depicted in the iconic ceiling mural at Grand Central Terminal. Lasvit also unveils its collaborations with Pushelberg and Campana Brothers, and lamp designs by studio LLEV featuring innovative use of mycelium. Three sculptural installations of Lasvit’s 'Icon' series and a flower-like wall installation Florescence by Martin Gallo, complete this stellar showcase in booth number 212 in hall P15 at Euroluce.

'Transmitter / Receiver' by Carsten Nicolai for Marsèll

Can a dimension that is otherwise sequestered from our senses be made tangible? How can a sculpture make the invisible visible? These questions form the origin of Marsèll’s installation Transmitter / Receiver by German artist Carsten Nicolai. On view during the ongoing design fair, the site-specific installation is a part of the brand’s Spring Summer 23 collection at Marsèll Paradise in Milan. The SS23 collection probes light and the delicate colours of the summer horizon, making an alliance with Nicolai—whose research explores the intersection of art and science—only imminent. The creation functions as a multi-sensory seismograph, delving into the visual and material properties of the universe. Optical phenomena such as particles, light and colours are subjects of central interest, as is chance.

The counter detects terrestrial and extra-terrestrial radioactive particles and sends a corresponding electrical pulse to the ‘machine,’ which modulates the pulse. The ‘machine,’ as the main medium, translates those particles into sound, light and visual worlds for the viewers to experience. This exploration of chaos and chance, two of the key phenomena of the universe, are particularly relevant to Nicolai’s work. It sensitises the viewers’ perceptions and allows them to witness patterns, sounds, and an abstract, cosmic language.

'Crystal Beat' by Preciosa

In this installation, at Euroluce 2023, lighting design collides with music to stimulate the onlookers' perception. Preciosa Lighting is a global brand that works towards the elevation of the heritage of bohemian crystal through contemporary decorative lighting. Resting on the foundation of years of tradition and craftsmanship, their creations are built to persevere through time—akin to the heritage that fuels them. Setting up camp in hall 9, stand 9.210, the lighting brand showcases its new signature design Crystal Grid and breathes life into a dynamic light installation titled Crystal Beat.

Propelled ahead by a special technological solution that allows for the lighting to react to ambient music, Crystal Beat features a three-dimensional sound system. Attuned with a crystal light centrepiece, the system brings to fruition an ethereal and interactive framework. The rhythm follows the music that emanates from one part of the installation, almost as if one is ‘seeing’ the sound flow. The installation is clad in layers of light that yield an inviting depth, while the wafting music ushers the audience into the immersive experience. “Light and sound go hand in hand in all our installations, as they are essential to the creation of atmosphere,” shares Michael Vasku, the creative director at Preciosa.

'Just like a light' by Davide Groppi

Imagine a radiating light source, and as your gaze slowly travels downwards, it is met with five reptiles eerily crawling towards the source of light. As bizarre as it may sound, this is the sight one will behold at Davide Groppi’s presentation at Euroluce, titled Novelties 2023. In the midst of an array of works characterised by purity, sparkles, irony and transparencies, the visitors come upon an unusual composition for a lamp, one with five crocodiles competing for the light—Just like a light. “Sometimes I have to let my imagination run without thinking if people will like the lamp or if it will create light, in a free, creative exercise where the compositional and functional aspects become secondary,” says Groppi.

The designer adds a dash of surprise to his creations, by demonstrating something novel, ensuring a certain visual thrill for the viewer. So, how can encountering such intrepid experimentation lead to a commonplace sentiment? Just like a light is a homage to an eternal point of reference, in an exhibit on display at hall 13 stand 122—ushering the visitors to pleasant surprises, and unexpected discoveries.

‘The Green Space’ by LZF

From feathery lights to chaotic luminous streaks, LZF’s stand at Euroluce 2023 emanates the serenity of a forest—hence the name, The Green Space. The enticing showcase features irradiating compositions by designers such as Bodo Sperlin, Candela Cort, Ramon Esteve, Isidro Ferrer and Mayice amongst others.

Sperlin’s feathery light titled Volerie is a contemporary reimagination of a classic 1920s art deco chandelier while his light Osca draws inspiration from a cubist aesthetic. Candela by Candela Cort garners attention owing to an unabashedly flamboyant language. A captivating capsule of light dubbed Estela is Mayice’s addition to the repository. Materiality and controlled light become cues for the new collections inspired by nature, featuring designs that amalgamate art with technology, creativity with pragmatism.

'Cor' by Agglomerati

Envision earth as an organism, a series of luminous dissections on its surface, revealing the provenance of life residing in its heart. Such is the concept behind this troupe of illuminated sculptures designed by Australian designer Tom Fereday for London-based studio Agglomerati. Named Cor, after the Latin word for ‘heart,’ this series of towering sculptures, pronounces the innate nature of stone. The collection speaks to the viewers through six monolithic totems, unique in height and formed around a spherical aperture—the distinctive detail of the collection. This yawning void opens inconsistently in each iteration, adding to the silhouettes’ enigmatic presence that glows radiantly when lit.

Each sculpture in this limited-edition series is a culmination of intricate and innovative internal coring, demonstrating a synthesis of material innovation and natural stone machining on an impressive scale. This cluster is accompanied by a sonic intervention by Italian composer Federico Bisozzi, attesting to the millions of years that the stone has resonated within Earth’s core. Enunciating the tension between natural materials and contemporary design, Cor exemplifies Fereday’s ability to honour materiality while interweaving form and function to produce sculptural, meaningful design.

'Beyond Form' by Studio MILO

This micro-circular universe that partakes in the design event’s larger one, is capable of generating an almost dream-like wonder. The milieu constituting luminous eyes, noses, ears and mouths is conceived by Studio MILO for Masiero’s exhibition Beyond Form during Milan Design Week. The exhibition space is a reflection of overcoming standards, the fragmentation of a single open space into multiple covert spaces to cultivate a maze of surprise. As visitors trace the circular path of the installation adorned with curved walls and broken by optical lines on the floor, they are led to experience various interiors as they reveal themselves. In this evocative and surreal space, the Visio lighting collection by designer duo Nava + Arosio fluidly melts into unexpected configurations.

The arrangement of the display, evocative of the structure of a carousel and the excitement of kinetics, results in niches and corners in which organic shapes—eyes, noses and ears—silently wait to surprise the viewer. The expressive Visio collection, donned in vivid colours, alludes intentionally to the word ‘vision’ and also the word 'viso' which means ‘face’ in Italian. The thrill extends into the distortion of proportions, and fragmentation of shapes, all suspended as if in a dream and in dialogue with the displayed lamp designs.

STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2023 showcases the best exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands, and special projects to look out for. Explore Euroluce 2023 and all the design districts—5Vie Art and Design, Brera Design District, Fuorisalone, Isola Design District, Tortona District, and Milano Design District—with us.