Reflections on light

‘reflections on light’

Introduction

Behind any object, especially those concerned with light, there is a clear intention to attempt to improve the quality of life of the user and take care of the space in which the light is found. Light allows us to see our surroundings; as such, looking after light is essential, and it is precisely this that is at the heart of this project.

‘Reflections on light’ gathers a series of conversations with designers, architects and artists who work with and think about light every day. These films and interviews focus on the people behind the objects, concentrating on their creative vision and background from which their ideas are born; the importance of the beauty of wellmade objects, and how the objects affect our perception of life.

Imma Bermúdez p.04 Stefano Colli p.20 Joan Gaspar p.34 Xavier Mañosa p.50 Maria Reig p.66 Christophe Mathieu p.82 Mathias Hahn p.98 9 781940 291826

Introduction

Behind any object, especially those concerned with light, there is a clear intention to attempt to improve the quality of life of the user and take care of the space in which the light is found. Light allows us to see our surroundings; as such, looking after light is essential, and it is precisely this that is at the heart of this project.

‘Reflections on light’ gathers a series of conversations with designers, architects and artists who work with and think about light every day. These films and interviews focus on the people behind the objects, concentrating on their creative vision and background from which their ideas are born; the importance of the beauty of wellmade objects, and how the objects affect our perception of life.

Imma Bermúdez p.04 Stefano Colli p.20 Joan Gaspar p.34 Xavier Mañosa p.50 Maria Reig p.66 Christophe Mathieu p.82 Mathias Hahn p.98 9 781940 291826

4

Interview

Reflection 1

Inma Bermúdez “My favorite kind of light is candlelight with its flickering flame.”

Born in Murcia in 1977, at the tender age of one week old Inma Bermúdez moved to Valencia —a fount of Spanish creativity— where she would eventually study design. Today she works for a wide variety of companies in different countries. Though she is still based at her country home, 20 km from Valencia —where she lives with her dogs, hens, vegetable patch, and close enough to her family to maintain a tradition of Sunday paella— she travels all over the world to launch new products. With the FollowMe, she feels she is adding a feminine touch to the Marset line.

5

4

Interview

Reflection 1

Inma Bermúdez “My favorite kind of light is candlelight with its flickering flame.”

Born in Murcia in 1977, at the tender age of one week old Inma Bermúdez moved to Valencia —a fount of Spanish creativity— where she would eventually study design. Today she works for a wide variety of companies in different countries. Though she is still based at her country home, 20 km from Valencia —where she lives with her dogs, hens, vegetable patch, and close enough to her family to maintain a tradition of Sunday paella— she travels all over the world to launch new products. With the FollowMe, she feels she is adding a feminine touch to the Marset line.

5

6

Interview

On what day did you become a designer?

I have liked to create things my entire life. I have been creative and curious since I was little. I think that the day I began to be a designer was precisely when I began to work. I have always been insecure, and I did not have the sense that I was capable of creating anything until I saw that I was able to design things that were manufactured and brought to market.

Is the idea of having the ability to create things very powerful?

I think that this perspective comes from a person who is not living in the skin of a designer, because to me it is totally natural. On the other hand, the job of a surgeon seems incredible to me because I am totally unfamiliar with that field. To me, creating is natural, and I love it, it comes easily, I don’t have to think a lot about what I am doing, I just do it.

Where did you study?

I studied in Valencia, and in my last year at university I went on an Erasmus trip to Germany. It was hard, but not too hard because my first rule after I arrived was not to compare, because if I compare it with what I had experienced at home, I’m always going to prefer what I am more familiar with.

When I live someplace else, my philosophy has always been to make the most of the place. This helps a lot; it lets you get to know people from another perspective and to be more relaxed. In Germany I learned the culture of recycling, I began to get close to nature, to animals. I met people who lived with hens and goats, who had their

own vegetable gardens, and I began to feel curious. And that is one of the reasons why I live the way I do now: in a house built in a sustainable way, with animals, a vegetable garden, hens and roosters, in a very relaxed way. An atmosphere like that helps me to get the peace and quiet I need to create.

After that, I worked in France in the summers in design workshops organised by the Vitra Design Museum. And later still I did an internship at Ikea and went to Sweden.

I spent the winter there – it was a bit hard because there was no light. I ate tons of chocolate, a total anti-depressant, but I learned a lot and it brought out the best in me.

After six years abroad and living back in Valencia, I worked at Lladró, which taught me about the world of porcelain.

What is light?

That’s a difficult question… light is everything. If we didn’t have light, we couldn’t eat, we couldn’t live. In this sense, light gives us life, it’s necessary for everything… Light is life, happiness, enthusiasm, warmth… love.

Light is everything. Ultimately, if there is no light, there is nothing.

What does a beautiful light make you feel?

It makes me feel peaceful, quiet…

I am really bothered when a light isn’t good.

It affects my mood.

What is a beautiful light like?

To me it is candlelight, firelight, the light of a flame. This might be a bit anthropological, coming from back when we used to live in caves and use fire to illuminate things. At my home, when we light the fireplace, you can spend hours watching the flames. It’s an amazing feeling.

It captivates you – it’s hypnotising.

Inma Bermúdez

7

6

Interview

On what day did you become a designer?

I have liked to create things my entire life. I have been creative and curious since I was little. I think that the day I began to be a designer was precisely when I began to work. I have always been insecure, and I did not have the sense that I was capable of creating anything until I saw that I was able to design things that were manufactured and brought to market.

Is the idea of having the ability to create things very powerful?

I think that this perspective comes from a person who is not living in the skin of a designer, because to me it is totally natural. On the other hand, the job of a surgeon seems incredible to me because I am totally unfamiliar with that field. To me, creating is natural, and I love it, it comes easily, I don’t have to think a lot about what I am doing, I just do it.

Where did you study?

I studied in Valencia, and in my last year at university I went on an Erasmus trip to Germany. It was hard, but not too hard because my first rule after I arrived was not to compare, because if I compare it with what I had experienced at home, I’m always going to prefer what I am more familiar with.

When I live someplace else, my philosophy has always been to make the most of the place. This helps a lot; it lets you get to know people from another perspective and to be more relaxed. In Germany I learned the culture of recycling, I began to get close to nature, to animals. I met people who lived with hens and goats, who had their

own vegetable gardens, and I began to feel curious. And that is one of the reasons why I live the way I do now: in a house built in a sustainable way, with animals, a vegetable garden, hens and roosters, in a very relaxed way. An atmosphere like that helps me to get the peace and quiet I need to create.

After that, I worked in France in the summers in design workshops organised by the Vitra Design Museum. And later still I did an internship at Ikea and went to Sweden.

I spent the winter there – it was a bit hard because there was no light. I ate tons of chocolate, a total anti-depressant, but I learned a lot and it brought out the best in me.

After six years abroad and living back in Valencia, I worked at Lladró, which taught me about the world of porcelain.

What is light?

That’s a difficult question… light is everything. If we didn’t have light, we couldn’t eat, we couldn’t live. In this sense, light gives us life, it’s necessary for everything… Light is life, happiness, enthusiasm, warmth… love.

Light is everything. Ultimately, if there is no light, there is nothing.

What does a beautiful light make you feel?

It makes me feel peaceful, quiet…

I am really bothered when a light isn’t good.

It affects my mood.

What is a beautiful light like?

To me it is candlelight, firelight, the light of a flame. This might be a bit anthropological, coming from back when we used to live in caves and use fire to illuminate things. At my home, when we light the fireplace, you can spend hours watching the flames. It’s an amazing feeling.

It captivates you – it’s hypnotising.

Inma Bermúdez

7

12

Interview

Inma Bermúdez

“Ultimatel y, if there is no ligh t, there is I.B. nothi ng.”

13

12

Interview

Inma Bermúdez

“Ultimatel y, if there is no ligh t, there is I.B. nothi ng.”

13

14

Interview

Inma BermĂşdez

15

14

Interview

Inma BermĂşdez

15

20

Interview

Reflection 2

21

Stefano Colli “Light is life. It is being able to recognize everything�

Stefano Colli was born in 1966 in Reggio Emilia, the birthplace of Parmesan and balsamic vinegar. He studied architecture and design taught by great enthusiasts in these fields, such as Achille Castiglioni, Bruno Munari, Enzo Mari and Vico Magistretti. It was after his studies that life lead him to Barcelona where he built his professional career and started a family. After more than 25 years as an architect, Stefano claims that architecture is a tool for communicating and expressing emotion. In recent years he has specialised in corporate interior design, and has become concerned with how company strategies and innovation are conveyed through the interior spaces. He strives to find new ways of perceiving design, generating projects that are more accessible and viable for all audiences.

20

Interview

Reflection 2

21

Stefano Colli “Light is life. It is being able to recognize everything�

Stefano Colli was born in 1966 in Reggio Emilia, the birthplace of Parmesan and balsamic vinegar. He studied architecture and design taught by great enthusiasts in these fields, such as Achille Castiglioni, Bruno Munari, Enzo Mari and Vico Magistretti. It was after his studies that life lead him to Barcelona where he built his professional career and started a family. After more than 25 years as an architect, Stefano claims that architecture is a tool for communicating and expressing emotion. In recent years he has specialised in corporate interior design, and has become concerned with how company strategies and innovation are conveyed through the interior spaces. He strives to find new ways of perceiving design, generating projects that are more accessible and viable for all audiences.

44

Interview

What is a well-lit city like?

There is too much light in cities, especially Mediterranean cities, perhaps because light is associated with safety and so cities are lit up more than they need to be. A well-lit city should have focused light that doesn’t bother you when you walk or drive. You have to have just the right amount of light. Trying to re-create daylight at night is ridiculous. The night should be the night, and so you choose little points of light to create certain atmospheres around you.

Some houses are more brightly lit at night then during the day.

Does every moment have the ideal kind of light?

Yes, when it comes to artificial light, there should be a perfect light for every moment. When you read, you need a reading light; when you have dinner at the table, you should have a light that only lights up the table. At home, light should decorate, and you can discriminate between different lights to create different atmospheres, trying to avoid top-down lighting whenever possible.

Regardless of whether you like a lamp more or less, one thing is the kind of light it provides and another thing is the physical product itself.

What is your creative process when you design a lamp?

That depends. I might reach the final idea in many different ways. Sometimes it occurs to me at the beginning of product development based on a material or mechanism that interests me. It might also occur to me depending on the kind of light I want to create; this gives you clues as to what the object will be like, what materials I can or cannot use. Light determines a lot —it limits you or opens up many doors in the creative process.

“A perfect lamp might be a lamp that is formally beautiful and lights well, that is not bothersome when it is on. I like lamp light not to be invasive, not to light everywhere, and I like it when the light that the lamp itself receives lets you see interesting things about the product itself and its construction.”

Joan Gaspar

45

44

Interview

What is a well-lit city like?

There is too much light in cities, especially Mediterranean cities, perhaps because light is associated with safety and so cities are lit up more than they need to be. A well-lit city should have focused light that doesn’t bother you when you walk or drive. You have to have just the right amount of light. Trying to re-create daylight at night is ridiculous. The night should be the night, and so you choose little points of light to create certain atmospheres around you.

Some houses are more brightly lit at night then during the day.

Does every moment have the ideal kind of light?

Yes, when it comes to artificial light, there should be a perfect light for every moment. When you read, you need a reading light; when you have dinner at the table, you should have a light that only lights up the table. At home, light should decorate, and you can discriminate between different lights to create different atmospheres, trying to avoid top-down lighting whenever possible.

Regardless of whether you like a lamp more or less, one thing is the kind of light it provides and another thing is the physical product itself.

What is your creative process when you design a lamp?

That depends. I might reach the final idea in many different ways. Sometimes it occurs to me at the beginning of product development based on a material or mechanism that interests me. It might also occur to me depending on the kind of light I want to create; this gives you clues as to what the object will be like, what materials I can or cannot use. Light determines a lot —it limits you or opens up many doors in the creative process.

“A perfect lamp might be a lamp that is formally beautiful and lights well, that is not bothersome when it is on. I like lamp light not to be invasive, not to light everywhere, and I like it when the light that the lamp itself receives lets you see interesting things about the product itself and its construction.”

Joan Gaspar

45

50

Interview

Xavier Mañosa “A beautiful light needs many factors to come together.”

Xavier Mañosa was trained as an industrial designer, although life led him to grow up amidst the wheels and kilns of his family’s ceramics studio. After a stint working in Berlin, once back in Barcelona he decided to merge the artisan trade of pottery with design, and in 2009 he created the brand Apparatu along with his parents. Back then, he was motivated by investigating materials and manufacturing processes themselves; he shapes each of his pieces individually, allowing for slight variations, for the poetics of the unexpected. He is a member of the latest wave of creators who merge designing and doing.

His relationship with Marset has yielded collections of lamps with clays and enamels that interpret new light effects.

Xavier Mañosa is one of the top exponents of contemporary ceramics.

His work has been displayed in design fairs and exhibitions in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, New York, Mexico City and Stockholm.

Reflection 4

51

50

Interview

Xavier Mañosa “A beautiful light needs many factors to come together.”

Xavier Mañosa was trained as an industrial designer, although life led him to grow up amidst the wheels and kilns of his family’s ceramics studio. After a stint working in Berlin, once back in Barcelona he decided to merge the artisan trade of pottery with design, and in 2009 he created the brand Apparatu along with his parents. Back then, he was motivated by investigating materials and manufacturing processes themselves; he shapes each of his pieces individually, allowing for slight variations, for the poetics of the unexpected. He is a member of the latest wave of creators who merge designing and doing.

His relationship with Marset has yielded collections of lamps with clays and enamels that interpret new light effects.

Xavier Mañosa is one of the top exponents of contemporary ceramics.

His work has been displayed in design fairs and exhibitions in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, New York, Mexico City and Stockholm.

Reflection 4

51

74

Interview

Maria Reig

If I were a Superwoman and could give out the Lamp Prizes, I would get rid of all who put the emphasis on design, creating a homage to themselves, those who walk around arrogantly “I’m a lamp designer”. Why do we put up with lamps that illuminate in a way that prevents us from living well and feeling good? You have to be daring with light and buy a lamp that works well with what you want to do, and not buy a design that bothers you, your house and your ambiance.

full of trees is gorgeous. So what makes harmony? The repetition of colours or sunrays or trunks, or the light that falls in the forest. Nature is very important to me, and so are forests. I call them sanctuaries.

These sanctuaries can be very small or very large, but they are strong. I adore that superimposition of shadows, colours, textures and reliefs in nature. I think that it is extremely difficult to recreate that in interior décor. That’s why I go outside to find it.

What is your relationship with Marset? How did it become part of your life?

Through design. I noticed some lamps that I really liked and they were from Marset. What I like about Marset is its focus on a kind of design that does not follow well-worn patterns; it develops a culture of its own, part of it is local and part is international.

You can also clearly see that there is someone behind Marset, that it is a small-tomedium-sized company made up of people who like to listen, improve, surprise. I identify Marset with a modern Mediterranean culture.

What is your relationship with the objects around you?

I’m not much of a collector of things that complicate life. For example, when I buy a work of art, I know that I’m going to have to like it my entire life. I’ve owned ninety percent of my things for many years and I still love them. Objects are like an elderly person or a home; the more years go by the more beautiful they become. They keep evolving. To me objects, just like light, are a language that show what you are like, but they show it subtly.

What is beauty?

I would talk more about harmony.

Beauty without harmony, without proportion, does not exist. Proportion can be disproportionate, it can be enormous, but harmony is what confers beauty. For example, the Grand Canyon in Colorado.

It’s huge, red, striped! Amazing! A forest

75

“The concept of luxury is related to the choice of materials, textures and quality, which becomes harmonious when they are mixed.”

74

Interview

Maria Reig

If I were a Superwoman and could give out the Lamp Prizes, I would get rid of all who put the emphasis on design, creating a homage to themselves, those who walk around arrogantly “I’m a lamp designer”. Why do we put up with lamps that illuminate in a way that prevents us from living well and feeling good? You have to be daring with light and buy a lamp that works well with what you want to do, and not buy a design that bothers you, your house and your ambiance.

full of trees is gorgeous. So what makes harmony? The repetition of colours or sunrays or trunks, or the light that falls in the forest. Nature is very important to me, and so are forests. I call them sanctuaries.

These sanctuaries can be very small or very large, but they are strong. I adore that superimposition of shadows, colours, textures and reliefs in nature. I think that it is extremely difficult to recreate that in interior décor. That’s why I go outside to find it.

What is your relationship with Marset? How did it become part of your life?

Through design. I noticed some lamps that I really liked and they were from Marset. What I like about Marset is its focus on a kind of design that does not follow well-worn patterns; it develops a culture of its own, part of it is local and part is international.

You can also clearly see that there is someone behind Marset, that it is a small-tomedium-sized company made up of people who like to listen, improve, surprise. I identify Marset with a modern Mediterranean culture.

What is your relationship with the objects around you?

I’m not much of a collector of things that complicate life. For example, when I buy a work of art, I know that I’m going to have to like it my entire life. I’ve owned ninety percent of my things for many years and I still love them. Objects are like an elderly person or a home; the more years go by the more beautiful they become. They keep evolving. To me objects, just like light, are a language that show what you are like, but they show it subtly.

What is beauty?

I would talk more about harmony.

Beauty without harmony, without proportion, does not exist. Proportion can be disproportionate, it can be enormous, but harmony is what confers beauty. For example, the Grand Canyon in Colorado.

It’s huge, red, striped! Amazing! A forest

75

“The concept of luxury is related to the choice of materials, textures and quality, which becomes harmonious when they are mixed.”

90

Interview

Christophe Mathieu

“Light is a language.

The lamp beco mes an object that speaks and sparks a series of sen sations inside you which tr anslate into C.M. greater or less er comfort.”

91

90

Interview

Christophe Mathieu

“Light is a language.

The lamp beco mes an object that speaks and sparks a series of sen sations inside you which tr anslate into C.M. greater or less er comfort.”

91

96

Shooting de Inma en Campo Viejo, localidad costera de Almeria.

Interview

Christophe Mathieu

97

96

Shooting de Inma en Campo Viejo, localidad costera de Almeria.

Interview

Christophe Mathieu

97

104

Interview

Mathias Hahn

105

What do you want to spark in the viewer?

We all have a favorite cup or glass that we always end up grabbing without thinking about it. This is an intuitive use of objects because they bring us satisfaction.

If things are not relevant to us, we don’t spend time with them.

The incredible thing is when people can create their own history with something you have designed, and it works. When I work on a project, I think about this potential.

In each new design I make a clearly defined proposal, a statement, which might at first lead the viewer to be interested in or attracted to it. But later there is a second stage, which is after you use it over time.

And you realize that there is more to it, that it might even be better than you thought.

Observation and design go hand in hand.

I am a keen observer in general: of nature, of objects, of people.

To me design is like a language that can be read. As each of us perceives things and objects according to their own personal and cultural background, I am very interested in the context and how things correlate. In this sense, the same holds true with the concept of beauty. If you surprise people with a formal design, it’s because of the context, regardless of whether or not it is shared.

What would you like the users of your lamps to perceive?

If we ask ourselves why we need a new lamp design, to me it’s the same as asking why read a new book, or why see a new film.

The design of an object is about more than its function or formal appearance.

It is important that things function well but after having used them for some time, the interesting question is how do they fit into our individual lives. If they offer room for interpretation and we actually allow them to be part of our own routines they become valuable.

The past decade has witnessed major changes in artificial lighting.

Do you have favorite light sources?

The most important thing to me is having this evolution in mind. I am not in favor of or against the old or the new. The incredible thing is that we have so many possibilities today. And this gives us a great deal of freedom to experiment. We are still in the midst of the process of evolution.

I am excited to see what’s to come.

Might the future of artificial light make lamps almost invisible?

I think that we will always need that materiality. At least in some places, we need the context. Technology may be very sophisticated, but we still like to touch a wooden table or wear leather shoes.

104

Interview

Mathias Hahn

105

What do you want to spark in the viewer?

We all have a favorite cup or glass that we always end up grabbing without thinking about it. This is an intuitive use of objects because they bring us satisfaction.

If things are not relevant to us, we don’t spend time with them.

The incredible thing is when people can create their own history with something you have designed, and it works. When I work on a project, I think about this potential.

In each new design I make a clearly defined proposal, a statement, which might at first lead the viewer to be interested in or attracted to it. But later there is a second stage, which is after you use it over time.

And you realize that there is more to it, that it might even be better than you thought.

Observation and design go hand in hand.

I am a keen observer in general: of nature, of objects, of people.

To me design is like a language that can be read. As each of us perceives things and objects according to their own personal and cultural background, I am very interested in the context and how things correlate. In this sense, the same holds true with the concept of beauty. If you surprise people with a formal design, it’s because of the context, regardless of whether or not it is shared.

What would you like the users of your lamps to perceive?

If we ask ourselves why we need a new lamp design, to me it’s the same as asking why read a new book, or why see a new film.

The design of an object is about more than its function or formal appearance.

It is important that things function well but after having used them for some time, the interesting question is how do they fit into our individual lives. If they offer room for interpretation and we actually allow them to be part of our own routines they become valuable.

The past decade has witnessed major changes in artificial lighting.

Do you have favorite light sources?

The most important thing to me is having this evolution in mind. I am not in favor of or against the old or the new. The incredible thing is that we have so many possibilities today. And this gives us a great deal of freedom to experiment. We are still in the midst of the process of evolution.

I am excited to see what’s to come.

Might the future of artificial light make lamps almost invisible?

I think that we will always need that materiality. At least in some places, we need the context. Technology may be very sophisticated, but we still like to touch a wooden table or wear leather shoes.

Credits

‘Reflections on light’ is an initiative made for Marset conceptualized and designed by Folch.

Filmed by Goroka.

Concept, graphic design, art direction & creative direction in production Folch

Published by ACTAR Publishers New York www.actar-d.com & The Flames by Folch Barcelona www.folchstudio.com

Coordination Isabel Valle Photography Leo García Tina Hillier Illustration Pol Montserrat Film Goroka Printing Ingoprint

Distributed by Actar D New York – Barcelona www.actar-d.com

Printed and bound in Barcelona December 2015

151 Grand Street, 5th floor New York, NY 10013, USA T +1 212 966 2207 F +1 212 966 2214 brian.brash@actar-d.com Roca i Batlle 2 E-08023 Barcelona T +34 93 328 21 83 eurosales@actar-d.com All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consensus of the publisher.

ISBN Actar Publishers 978-1-940291-82-6 ISBN FolchStudio 978-84-944216-9-3

Watch the films at reflectionsonlight.marset.com

Credits

‘Reflections on light’ is an initiative made for Marset conceptualized and designed by Folch.

Filmed by Goroka.

Concept, graphic design, art direction & creative direction in production Folch

Published by ACTAR Publishers New York www.actar-d.com & The Flames by Folch Barcelona www.folchstudio.com

Coordination Isabel Valle Photography Leo García Tina Hillier Illustration Pol Montserrat Film Goroka Printing Ingoprint

Distributed by Actar D New York – Barcelona www.actar-d.com

Printed and bound in Barcelona December 2015

151 Grand Street, 5th floor New York, NY 10013, USA T +1 212 966 2207 F +1 212 966 2214 brian.brash@actar-d.com Roca i Batlle 2 E-08023 Barcelona T +34 93 328 21 83 eurosales@actar-d.com All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consensus of the publisher.

ISBN Actar Publishers 978-1-940291-82-6 ISBN FolchStudio 978-84-944216-9-3

Watch the films at reflectionsonlight.marset.com

‘Reflections on light’ gathers a series of conversations with designers, architects and artists who work with and think about light every day.

These films and interviews focus on the people behind the objects, concentrating on their creative vision and background from which their ideas are born; the importance of the beauty of well-made objects, and how the objects affect our perception of life.

ISBN 978-1-940291-82-6