Lightopia

Artificial light has revolutionized our environment like almost no other medium. Today, we are experiencing a profound change in the world of artificial light, with as yet unforeseeable consequences for people's lives. »Lightopia« presents icons and examples of lighting design, setting them in a broader cultural and historical context. The publication comprises three separate books in a slipcase. In volume 1, renowned authors take a close look at the cultural history of light in a number of essays dealing with topics as diverse as the scenographic significance of light or its psychological aspects. Volume 2 presents a selection of the 100 most important luminaires from the collection of the Vitra Design Museum - dating from 1900 to today - and includes texts on the development of lighting design. In volume 3, interviews with well-known lighting designers and artists explore how new illumination technologies revolutionize the creative use of light today. With its three volumes, »Lightopia« constitutes a unique compendium of lighting design. It is opulently illustrated and encompasses an exceptional spectrum of examples from design, art and architecture; with works by Olafur Eliasson, Gino Sarfatti, Ingo Maurer, mischer'traxler, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Richard Sapper, Achille Castiglioni, Ulrike Brandi, Pieke Bergmans and many others.

Lightopia investigates the development of light design, taking a novel perspective by placing the current paradigm shift in the larger context of cultural history. The starting point for the book is the Vitra Design Museum's extensive, never before seen lighting collection, from which particularly rare and important pieces are reproduced here--by designers such as Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, Achille Castiglioni and Gino Sarfatti. Parallel to these works, contemporary examples from the fields of design and art explore the current developments and transitions in light design: from new illumination concepts and innovative light designs to dynamic urban street lighting and energy efficient multifunctional (media) facades up to art installations and light experiments. Lightopia looks at natural phenomena and new technologies as well as exploring the fundamental emotional power of light. The spectrum of works surveyed extends from light objects inter alia by Troika and Mischer Traxler up to installations by Olafur Eliasson. These art and design objects are juxtaposed with exhibits from different cultural-historical contexts, which all allude to light's various symbolic connotations and speak of people's ongoing fascination with light throughout the ages.

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