Leading lights
IF NOT FOR some radical thinking in the 1950s, we might still be flicking light switches for the sole purpose of seeing better after dark.
Italian designers are credited as the first to envisage the electric light as an art form. Their exploration of the world of light was part of a nationwide drive to reinvent Italy after two world wars. Determined to shake off their semi-industrial culture, Italians began producing revolutionary designs that would influence modern thinking on a global scale, and remain a role model 50 years later.
In lighting - as in many other fields of design - the movement was led by a small but passionate group of entrepreneurs. Architect and designer Gio Ponti - credited as the godfather of Italy's post-war design renaissance - and the extravagant Carlo Mollino began designing lamps to express the potential of their versatile personalities. Through them, lights became objects in their own right, spawning a new era of design possibilities.
A recent Italian light exhibition at IFC Mall demonstrated the radical thinking of Italy's most famous designers, including Gino Sarfatti, Achille Castiglioni, Mario Bellini, Marco Zanuso and Ettore Sottsass. These trailblazers used light to make statements, eschewing austerity with their bold shapes and forms, using materials such as plastic and metal, and playing with colour and psychedelia.
Although the works on show were museum pieces, copies of many can still be purchased today in specialist lighting stores such as Flos in Central, where they have something of a cult following.
These retro lamps are 'exact replicas of the original design', says Flos salesman Dash Tsui Kin-kei. They're 'a best-kept secret enjoyed by a particular group of people', he says. The buyers are notably young, materialistic people who are more equipped than previous generations to buy what makes them happy.
Hot items at Flos include the Achille Castiglioni-designed Arco floor lamp (1962), Frisbi pendant (1978), Parentesi (1970); the Tobia Scarpa Foglio wall sconce (1966) and Papillona floor lamp (1975); the Gino Sarfatti pendant lamp (1958); and Paolo Rizzato 265 (1973).
Lighting designer Tino Kwan says these designers deserve their place in history. He describes the Italian lamps as classics that will always enjoy comebacks, even in this technology-driven age.
'It was a different scenario then,' says Kwan, of Tino Kwan Lighting Consultants. 'People were amazed by the new materials, like polycarbonate, which was unbreakable, durable and came in so many colours. Nowadays, everything happens so quickly and new materials are replaced so fast that nobody is surprised any more. I doubt we will ever capture that feeling again.'
But if lamps of that era made a statement, today's lighting tells the whole story, according to designer Arnold Chan, of Isometrix Lighting + Design.
'In those days, lighting was about style - a style that reflected a certain period. Now, it's more about theatre,' says Chan, who has designed the lighting for chic homes and establishments around the world, including the just-opened Landmark Mandarin Oriental hotel.
The shift began in the late 80s, with the emergence of yuppie culture. More and more affluent professionals travelled for leisure and business, chefs became celebrities, commanding up to a year's wait for a booking at their restaurants, and boutique hotels were born. People expected luxury in every aspect of their lives. Just as they dined in high-end restaurants and stayed in the most lavish accommodation, they built luxurious, designer homes.
'The whole phenomenon was about attitude, and people's insatiable pursuit of lifestyle,' Chan says. 'In the 50s and 60s, fewer people could afford that kind of affluence. Now, it's more attainable by a larger portion of people.'
If you were to ask Castiglioni, Chan says, he'd say he didn't design lighting or furniture as fashion. Yet his creations from the 50s and 60s are still hip today.
'There's no trend - anything is possible,' Chan says. 'Whether you go into a minimalist interior, or a decorative themed interior, everything is acceptable. In those days, you could say [the statement was] Italian style. Nowadays, it's about telling a good story.'
If you see a design that's a story well told, you have to respect it, even if you don't like it, Chan says. To some, for example, a John Pawson interior may appear stark, or a Philippe Starck interior whimsical. But when viewed in context, it's evident that when such projects are well executed, they're a story well told.
Chan puts light sources into two categories: as objects (decorative) and as architectural ambience (hidden). Good interior decor requires both, he says.
'People now realise the huge difference lighting can make,' he says. 'There's a mind-boggling choice of decorative lights, but more than that, we can use lights to change the mood of the house.'
Lighting control systems that once were the domain of elegant clubs are now available in simplified domestic versions. But we all know that in some settings simple candlelight is best. As in everything these days, it's all a matter of lifestyle choice.
