Gae Aulenti for Francesconi ‘Singa’ Lamp

Gae Aulenti for Francesconi, ‘Singa’ lamp, plastic, steel, chrome-plated steel, Italy, 1975

This rare ‘Singa’ lamp is designed by Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti for Italian lighting company Francesconi in the 1975. The lighting object is the result of Gae Aulenti's architectural sensibility. The frame constitutes evenly spaced bent rods that define hollowed-out areas. One third is overlaid with a molded plastic shell executed in a light pink tone. The lamp gives off an impression of being structurally austere, yet the open gaps give a sense of transparency, allowing the light to escape. The light gets beautifully captured by the sheet, resulting in an atmospheric optical, light effect. The sculptural form conceals an ingenious feature as the sphere can be rotated, meaning that the position of the lamp as well as the directness of the light can be altered. The 'Singa' lamp, with its practicality and impressive sculptural presence, embodies the hallmarks of Gae Aulenti's design style.

Gae Aulenti (1927-2012) was an Italian designer and architect. In 1954, she graduated at the Milan School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University and was only one of two women from her class of 20. Aulenti is mostly known for her large-scale museum projects such as her work for the Musée d’Orsay and Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Palazzo Grassi in Venice. Aulenti was at the forefront of Italian post-war design. Her design was meant to make connections with both history and future of Italy. The postmodern movement that Aulenti belonged to refused to design in the objective language of the modernists. This Avant Garde Postmodern design movement was the beginning of a new type of Italian art, architecture and design.

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