[ DESIGN DISTRICT ]
CARLOTTA DE BEVILACQUA ARTEMIDE GROUP VICE PRESIDENT AND CEO by Marta Bernasconi
Is light more about function or emotion? Light’s much more, it’s energy. Light is perception – it is both function and emotion, as its wavelength makes the world visible, but it’s also energy, made up of finite particles, “quanta” or “photons”, so now light can communicate data, information and knowledge. These days light is far more than how we’re used to thinking about it, we have to look beyond the classical distinctions. Do you think the long period spent in lockdown at home in recent months has forced a rethink in interior lighting concepts? It’s confirmed the principle that has long underpinned our lighting design and management. Light must complement our rhythms, accompany the various moments of our lives and create a dynamic ambiance. That’s why we need versatile products we can interact with in a more traditional way, like a Tolomeo adjustable desk lamp, or digitally, as we do with light sources we can dialogue with through the Artemide App. During the long period spent under lockdown we’ve had to combine our personal and work life, family interaction and more personal moments. Light can be a part of all this just by blending simple elements. The important thing is to feel you are the author of your own light. What are your most recent introductions? We’ve just presented our patented Integralis® software, which combines a sanitising effect with light performance and beautiful design. The chosen frequencies of visible light inhibit the development and growth of bacteria, fungi and mould, while the UV light deactivates pathogenic micro-organisms, including viruses. Artemide’s R&D effort involves analysing the effects of light on our mental and physical well-being. Integralis® has many applications that go far beyond the current emergency. It’s a platform that suitable for a large number of functions and adapts to a wide range of products in order to provide an ideal solution in terms of both hygiene and also lighting performance in different lighting contexts. It can be managed via the Artemide App. What involvement have you had with the yacht building industry? Yachts are a great passion for me and my husband Ernesto Gismondi, who founded Artemide. That’s also why it’s a design theme we’ve often taken on, creating many products for the yachting industry. On-board lighting – what does Artemides recommend? It must intelligent, responsible and ethical lighting that can complement the rhythms of life on board with flexibility while respecting the natural environment. At sea especially respect isn’t only a question of consumption but also in relation to all the wonderful things that are happening outside the yacht. The lighting design must open itself up to an interaction with the exterior, with natural light, it must make it possible to live the experience of being at sea to the full.
THE ARTEMIDE GROUP Founded in 1960 by its current president Ernesto Gismondi, this lighting brand is now one of the most widely known in the world, and boasts five production units, two glassworks and an R&D unit. Its products are sold in 98 countries. Many Artemide lights have become design icons.
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