Studio Vantot unveils 'Floating Lights' at Milan Design Week 2022

“There’s something magical about lighting: you start with a dead object, but it comes alive when you plug it in,'' says Sam van Gurp, co-founder of Studio Vantot. In 2014, Sam van Grup founded the studio with Esther Jongsma and has been pioneering the LED lighting industry ever since. “Light is not a material, but designing light fixtures is all about materials. However, what is it that you see? The material or the immaterial? That ambiguity is very attractive, but it’s always difficult to predict how things will pan out,” says Esther Jongsma on the importance and relevance of an effective lighting system. Alongside 2000+ exhibitors for the Milan Design Week 2022, studio Vantot’s ‘Floating Lights’ will be showcased at the Dutch Atelier of the Isola Design District.

Good lighting revives a space and initiates a conversation with the elements of a room by not just eliminating the obscurity from that space but also by adding a sense of warmth and depth to the setting. Studio Vantot is a lighting design studio that works its way towards developing technologically advanced light fixtures. When Jongsma and Van Gurp started as light designers, the LED revolution was only gaining momentum. In the present scenario, energy-efficient light-emitting diodes have been reduced to being the most standardised, commercialised pinpricks in the name of lighting fixtures which undoubtedly succeed in having an energy-saving characteristic, but fail in being aesthetically viable alongside. Studio Vantot tapped the potential of LED by recognizing their low voltage and designed their own LED lights which are mild, shed a smooth light, are effectively energy-efficient, compact and aesthetically pleasing. “When you look into Dutch homes you often see a dark shadow hanging over the dining table, that only becomes animated at night. We try to fully integrate fixtures and light sources so a lamp is always something to look at. A functional sculpture, so to speak,” explains Jongsma pushing forth the idea of having lighting fixtures that are not dead when the power is off.

For their showcase at the Dutch Atelier, Studio Vantot brings forth the Floating Lights - a modular light sculpture. It combines balance and weightlessness to create a composition that can adapt to any space. A slim stainless steel frame is interlaced with luminous LEDs to create a pattern that changes as you travel around it like a swaying willow in the air. The light curtain's simultaneous existence and absence are captivating for any observer. Esther Jongsma and Sam van Gurp created this lightweight LED arrangement by developing a unique electrical current system, dependent on the sleek structure of the light sculpture, resulting in the airy dynamic of the floating lights. They effectively integrated the functionality of the LED lights with the aesthetics to bring forth a delicate and highly sustainable system.

According to the design concept, the floating lights tend to adapt to a multitude of spaces. They can be hung from the ceiling and connected to any source of electricity. The weights at the bottom of the sculptural lights keep them in form yet let them flow free. The level of flexibility offered by the floating lights is such that they can be made of any length, and can be arranged in any arrangement including circular, linear, organized, random or scattered. Each of these lights weighs as little as 40 grams but can be connected in a series to form objects as substantial as a 40-kilogram chandelier.

This year, the Milan Design Week focuses the spotlight on not just established brands and designers, but also young studios that are extremely promising in terms of innovation, technological advances and an overall aesthetic picture.

STIR takes you on a Milanese sojourn! Experience Salone del Mobile and all the design districts - 5vie, Brera, Fuorisalone, Isola, Zona Tortona, and Durini - with us. STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2022, Meanwhile in Milan showcases the best exhibits, moods, studios, events, and folks to look out for. We are also excited to announce our very own STIR press booth at Salone del Mobile - Hall 5/7 S.14, Fiera Milano RHO.