STARRY NIGHT / NORDIC LIGHT Curated by Lee F. Mindel, FAIA in collaboration with Jackson Design Galerie56, New York City October 29, 2026 - February 26, 2027
‘The sky at nighttime is illuminated in its northern parts in such a way that its brightness yields nothing to the brightest dawn and closely rivals the sun... forming for us this northern dawn.’ - Galileo Galilei, 1619
S T A R R Y
N I G H T
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N O R D I C
L I G H T
curated by Lee F. Mindel, FAIA in collaboration with Jackson Design
Our exhibition of legendary designs from Denmark, Sweden, and Finland spans the mid-20th century and traces the extraordinary ways Nordic architects and designers transformed illumination from a practical necessity into a vehicle for artistic expression. On display are works by such luminaries as Paavo Tynell, Alvar Aalto, Poul Henningsen, Verner Panton, Harald Notini, Edward Hald, and others. Together, these works capture a defining chapter in modern design, when the arrival and widespread adoption of electricity opened entirely new possibilities for controlling, filtering, reflecting, and shaping light – and established a standard for generations of designers to follow. Nordic lighting design is fundamentally rooted in the environmental conditions of the region. The long, dark winters of Scandinavia made artificial illumination an essential part of daily life, while the intensity and extended duration of summer daylight presented an equally compelling design challenge. With electricity replacing the naked flame, designers gained unprecedented control over illumination and began to ask not simply how to light a room, but how light itself could be experienced. For me, this transformation represents a fundamental principle of modern design: the simultaneous pursuit of function and beauty. The Nordic countries are subjected to extremes of light. They have too much, or they don’t have enough, and they have to supply light in a way that responds to those conditions. What developed was not simply illumination, but a way of thinking about light as architecture, as atmosphere, and ultimately as art. Rather than treating the fixture as a decorative object, the designers represented in our exhibition understood light as an active component of space – something that could establish rhythm, alter perception, create intimacy, or even make architecture itself seem to move. At a time when electricity was still a relatively new resource, Nordic designers were already confronting questions that remain strikingly contemporary: energy consumption, material efficiency, environmental responsibility, and the social role of design. There was an economy to it. There was never an excess of anything. There was a civic responsibility to light. They were thinking about electricity and waste as early as the beginning of the twentieth century. That concern is just as true today. This economy is not simply an aesthetic principle; it is a philosophy of design. The designers represented in Starry Night / Nordic Light sought to solve problems with intelligence and restraint, finding beauty in the precise relationship between material, technology, environment, and human experience. For this reason, Nordic Light is not conceived as a decorative survey. It is an examination of how objects emerge from the intersection of environment, technology, architecture, economics, and culture – and how, in the hands of extraordinary designers, the practical problem of illumination can become something far more enduring: a synthesis of function, beauty, and emotion. - Lee F. Mindel, FAIA
PAAVO TYNELL Ceiling Lamp, Model no. 4044 1950s Brass, perforated brass, painted metal Produced by Taito Oy, Finland H: 48 x 68 cm diameter The model was included in the Embassy of the Soviet Union, Helsinki, Finland.
ALVAR AALTO Floor Lamps, Model nos. A809, A 805 and A 811 1950s Stitched leather over metal, brass, painted metal Produced by Valaistustyö, Finland Each lamp circa 160cm high
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POUL HENNINGSEN ‘Septima 5’ Ceiling Lamp Designed 1929, produced 1930s Matte polished shades, part clear glass, white metal fixture Produced by Louis Poulsen, Denmark Shade H: 40 x 50cm diameter
HARALD NOTINI Table Lamp, Model no. 6992 1930s Nickel plated brass, opal glass, ebonised wood bakelite switch, with adjustable ‘cap’ shade Produced by Böhlmarks, Sweden H: 25 x 12 cm diameter
YRJÖ KUKKAPURO Adjustable floor lamp 1960s Chrome plated metal, lacquered metal, fibreglass Produced by Haimi, Finland Dimensions Adjustable: H: 172-325 D: 80-102 W: 71 cm
ALVAR AALTO Prototype ceiling lamp for Maison Louis Carré 1958 Painted aluminium, brass Produced by Valaistustyö, Finland Shade H: 24 x 57cm diameter Designed as a prototype for the eventual ceiling lamp installed in the home of art dealer Louis Carré. Aalto designed the entire home and its interior for Carré and was his only French commission.
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G R E T A M A G N U S S O N-G R O S S M A N Floor Lamp, Model no. 731 Designed 1948-49, produced circa 1950 Brass, adjustable spun aluminium shades with original lacquer Produced by Ralph O. Smith, United States H: 130 x W: 46 x D: 30.5cm
ILMARI TAPIOVAARA Monumental Chandelier 1971 Cast brass, turned brass. Cast gilded glass shades Produced in Finland H: 150 x 77cm diamter Provenance: Inter-Continental Hotel Helsinki, Finland.
V I L H E L M L A U R I T Z E N, F R I T S S C H L E G E L Table Lamp Designed 1928, produced 1930s Nickel plated brass, partly lacquered original paint, zinc Fritzsche’s Glashandel. H, Denmark H: 57 x 22 x 31cm
POUL HENNINGSEN ‘PH Tennis’ Lamp Designed 1927, produced 1940s Painted metal, frosted glass, nickel plated metal Produced by Louis Poulsen, Denmark H: 64 x 60 cm Diameter
PAAVO TYNELL Ceiling Lamp, Model no. K2-33 1950s Brass, perforated brass Produced by Idman Oy, Finland H: 130 x 70cm
YRJÖ KUKKAPURO Adjustable‘Malli’ Lamps Designed 1964 Chromed tubular steel. Black painted metal Produced by Haimi, Finland Adjustable height : 106-130 cm Adjustable Length : 145- 235 cm
PAAVO TYNELL Table Lamp, Model no. 1005 circa 1950 Brass, lacquered brass Produced by Taito Oy, Finland H: 45 x 26 x 36cm
VERNER PANTON ‘FUN 14 DM’ Ceiling Lamp 1960s Chromed metal, shell discs Produced by J Luber, Switzerland H: 52 x 50cm diameter
ATTRIBUTED TO PALLE SUENSON Pair of Wall Lamps 1930s Painted brass, brass, opaline glass Produced in Denmark H: 30 x W: 30 x D: 30cm
ALVAR AALTO Monumental Floor Lamp 1962 Painted cast iron, patinated brass and copper Produced by Valaistustyö, Finland H: 238 x W: 61 x D: 61 cm Designed for the roof terrace at Enso-Gutzeit head office, Helsinki.
FLYGSFORS Illuminated Glass Globe 1950s Etched and carved glass, steel base Produced in Sweden H: 45 x W: 30 x D: 33cm
PAAVO TYNELL ‘Snowflake’ Chandelier, Model no. 10106 circa 1948 Brass, perforated brass, brass mesh Produced by Taito Oy, Finland H: 80 x 68cm diameter
ARNE JACOBSEN Pair of ‘AJ’ Floor Lamps from the SAS Hotel 1960 Nickel plated metal, painted metal, fabric shades Produced by Louis Poulsen, Denmark H: 183cm
POUL HENNINGSEN ‘PH 4½/4’ Ceiling Lamp 1930s Copper, brass Produced by Louis Poulsen, Denmark H: 36 x 45 cm diameter
ALVAR AALTO Table Lamp, Model no. A 704 1950s Leather wrapped metal, painted metal Produced by Valaistustyö Ky, Finland H 38 x W: 34 x D: 40cm
C A R L -A X E L A C K I N G Floor Lamp 1939 Brass, perforated brass, lacquered brass, leather Stockholm Stads Handverksförening, Sweden H: 171 x 30 cm diameter Commissioned for the Stockholm City Crafts Association, 1939
PAAVO TYNELL Floor Lamp, Model no.9619 circa 1950 Brass, perforated brass, leather Produced by Taito Oy, Finland H: 178 x W: 50 x D: 30cm
POUL HENNINGSEN ‘Spiral’ Ceiling Lamp 1963 Aluminium, copper, brass Produced by Louis Poulsen, Denmark H: 138 x 76cm diameter One of only five lamps produced for the Headquarters Assembly Hall, Danish Consumers Cooperative Society, Albertslund, Denmark
ALVAR AALTO ‘Beehive’ Ceiling Lamp, Model no. A332 1953 Painted aluminium, brass Produced by Valaistustyö Finland H: 35 x 35cm diameter
PAAVO TYNELL Set of Four Large Wall Lamps 1950s Brass, perforated brass. Impressed with manufacturer’s mark: ‘TAITO’. Produced by Taito Oy, Finland H: 35 x W: 40.5 x D: 35.5cm
SIMON HENNINGSEN ‘Casablanca’ Ceiling Lamp 1964 Polychromed metal, chromium-plated metal Produced by Lyfa, Denmark H: 25.5 x W: 24 x D: 24cm
HARALD NOTINI Pair of Wall Lamps, Model no. 8372 1930s Nickel plated brass, acid etched glass, frosted glass Produced by Böhlmarks, Sweden H: 36.5 x W: 20 x 16.5cm
ELIEL SAARINEN Lantern 1901 Painted steel, glass, wrought iron Produced in Finland H: 144 x W: 51 x D: 51cm Completed in 1901 for Pohjola Insurance Company, the Helsinki headquarters by Gesellius, Lindgren & Saarinen combined modern technology with Finnish National Romantic design. Its soapstone and granite façade is richly carved with animals, pine motifs, and mythological creatures inspired by the Kalevala.
ILMARI TAPIOVAARA ‘Mija the Bee’ Floor Lamp Designed 1955, produced 1960s Painted aluminium, brass Produced by Haimi, Finland H: 77cm
‘It is the glow of the bonfire, humanity’s first lamp. The bonfire has lit up our stupidity and our genius for a long time. It has given us protection, security, heat and light from sunset to sunrise. The light of a bonfire comes from below, just like light reflected by snow or by a white table cloth. The same kind of light is used at theatres to make people beautiful.’ -Poul Henningsen
POUL HENNINGSEN Unique Prototype Floor Lamp with PH 5 Shades 1960s Copper, painted metal, brass H: 161cm This PH 5 floor lamp is a unique prototype, produced as a custom design in 1960, but never serialized. Provenance: Louis Poulsen Archives.
GUNNAR ASPLUND Ceiling Lamp Designed 1920, produced circa 1950 Green lacquered metal, hand-blown opal glass Produced by Böhlmarks, Sweden H: 139 x 52cm diameter The model was first shown at the Verkstaden’s Exhibition Liljevalchs, 1920
E R T I L BGR RI SE N, BORG & OLLE ELMGREN OB I LL LME AE LR M I T A P I O BV EARAT RI LAB R I S B O R G B E R T I L B R I S B O R G, O L L E E L M G R E N Monumental Lamp B E R T I L B Wall RWall I S BLamp O R G, O L L E E L M G R E N Monumental ‘Mija the Bee’ Floor Lamp 1951 Monumental Wall Lamp 1951 Designed 1955, Produced 1960s frosted glass, brass. Lacquered tubular steel,engraved engraved 1951 Monumental Wall steel, Lamp from the ‘Forllen’ Lacquered tubular frostedCinema glass, brass. Painted aluminium, brass Produced by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden Lacquered tubular steel, engravedSweden frosted glass, brass 1951 Produced Kompaniet, ProducedbybyNordiska Haimi, Finland Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden Lacquered tubular engraved frosted glass, brass. H:Produced 120 x W:by 400 xsteel, D: 42cm Provenance: ‘Forellen’ Cinema, Luleå, Sweden Produced by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden Provenance:Forellen ForellenCinema, Cinema,Luleå. Luleå,Sweden Sweden Provenance:
HARALD NOTINI Ceiling Lamp 1930s Nickeled metal, frosted glass, partially painted with red bands Produced Böhlmarks, Sweden H: 53 x 58cm diameter
CARL-AXEL ACKING Floor Lamp, Model no. Model no. 2645 1940s Brass, perforated brass, leather Produced by Broderna Malmströms Fabrik, Sweden H: 171 x W: 60 x D: 60cm
POUL HENNINGSEN ‘House of the Future’ Ceiling Lamp 1959 Painted steel, flourescent painted aluminium Produced by Louis Poulsen, Denmark H: 65 x W: 65 x D: 65cm Designed in 1959 exclusively for ‘The House of the Day after Tomorrow’ exhibition, with only 15 lamps ever produced.
PAAVO TYNELL Monumental Wall Lamp 1950s Brass, bent brass with floral and leaf decor, hand blown glass shades Produced by Taito Oy, Finland H: 150 x W: 135cm Provenance: Ilves Cinema, Lahti, Finland
PALLE SUENSON Adjustable Ceiling Lamp 1940s Paivted metal, perforated brass, brass Produced in Denmark H: variable x 51cm diameter
ELIS BERGH Chandelier 1920s Silver plated brass, silk tassels, clear glass, metal wire Produced by Herman Bergman, Sweden H: 88 x 59cm diameter
POUL HENNINGSEN ‘American’ Table Lamp with Model PH 3/2 Shades 1928 Single layer opaline glass, bronze patinated glass Produced by Louis Poulsen, Denmark H: 33 x W: 60 x D: 28cm
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