From 18th to 23rd April 2023, Milan was transformed into a city of lights, hosting the 31st edition of Euroluce, the Biennial International Lighting Exhibition. Harmony and technology merged into an innovative and surprising design dimension in the four pavilions of Rho Fiera.
The Salone Internazionale del Mobile.Milan
Over the years, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile has been able to adapt to changes of the market and to the consumers’ needs, establishing itself as the international reference fair for the world of furniture and design. Born in 1961, it offers several exhibitions on various topics every year, including Euroluce, the biennial that explores the future by unveiling innovative ways of designing light.
The Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2023 is the projection of an industry, the Made in Italy furniture’s one, which went back to being aggressive, after the pandemic, on important markets such as the United Arab Emirates’, Canada’s and, above all, the United States’ ones. With its large spaces and luxurious stands treated in detail, Salone hosted almost 2000 businesses from 37 different countries, offering a showcase of excellence for the design of lighting, home automation and technological innovation. The event was inaugurated by the Salone’s president Maria Porro together with Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, who highlighted the importance of the sector for the national economy recovery. Euroluce hosted a total of 314 companies indeed, which presented their latest innovations in terms of lamps, lighting systems and smart technologies.
Euroluce’s new layout: a dialogue between light and art
For the first time, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile eliminated the barriers preferring the exposure on a single level.
Euroluce also adopted a new exhibition concept, based on a curvilinear, irregular and fluid path, different from the traditional chessboard arrangement.
The concept wanted to evoke the spatiality of the classic Italian villages, favouring a greater connection and visibility among the exhibitors and a better visiting experience for the ideal visitor and the interior or light designer.
A narrative path whose beating heart was a large square, Aurore, dedicated to immersive experiences, such as the talks with experts in the field. The new exhibition proposal did not overlook the cultural component of the event, offering the attendance several interdisciplinary projects: the exhibitions involved various kinds of artists to discover the world of light through painting, architecture, sculpture and photography.
Lastly, a brilliant solution was found to bring out the light: to turn off everything else! In this way, the set-up turned into a sort of darkened container that was able to highlight the real main character of the stands: light.
“We have two very powerful tools at our disposal. One is the light, the other is the shadow. To light Euroluce project we decided to use the shadow.”
(Andrea Cacaci, lighting architect of Lombardini studio 22)
News and trends in the world of light
In this edition, the lighting biennial offered a complete overview of the latest news and trends of the
sector.
It wanted to expand its proposal by including not only decorative lamps, but also architectural ones and lighting systems, to meet the needs of designers, architects and design enthusiasts.
Among the most fashionable trends in the light design field, we can find the modular systems, which allow to create original and customized solutions to illuminate the space. These systems are based on the idea of combining elements of the same family or of different shape and size, depending on the available space and on the desired effect. We are talking about adaptable solutions for both residential and commercial or business environments. The shapes of the lamps are inspired by nature and industry, creating contrasts or harmonies with the environments style. Therefore, we saw lamps with floral, liquid or organic shapes, which recall life and movement, or more linear and geometric models, which express order and functionality. Another important aspect is technology in lighting projects, which allows to adjust not only the intensity, but also the temperature of the light, creating hot or cold atmospheres depending on the
occasion.
The turnout at Euroluce was very high: a lot of visitors chose not to miss the appointment to discover the latest news and the best solutions in the lighting field, taking into account the creative and design aspect of light.
The inspiring principles of the most innovative fair in the industry
The Salone Internazionale del Mobile.Milano was not only a high-level business opportunity, but also an avant-garde exhibition model in the field of eco-sustainability and energy saving.
An eco-friendly and responsible fair
FederlegnoArredo, the federation that represents the heart of the Italian wood-furniture supply chain, joined the Global Compact in 2022, the United Nations’ initiative that promotes the universal
principles of sustainability. This commitment reflects the federation’s vision, which has always oriented its activity towards the respect for resources, sustainable production processes, longevity and recycling of products, as well as inclusive and safe work environments.
FederlegnoArredo, by its company FederlegnoArredo Eventi S.p.a, is also the organizer of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan: a showcase of excellence for the companies in the supply chain, which can transform the raw material into quality and innovative products by their genius and dexterity. The Salone Internazionale del Mobile proposed itself as an event in line with the values of the Global Compact, and it demonstrated to be an eco-sustainable and energy-efficient trade fair model.
The sustainable and virtuous trade fair event
The UNGC enunciates ten principles for the protection of human rights, the respect for the environment and for combating corruption in all its expressions. The furniture and design sectors are also invited to contribute to a deep change, necessary to cancel or at least to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of the current industrial development. In the awareness of belonging to the same ecosystem, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile.Milano tackled this path together with other numerous interlocutors. That was the best way to really witness the progress made so far.
Joining the Global Compact was the first participation in the world by a wood-furniture supply chain, taking a due step towards the creation of a sustainable and lasting value. Those intentions were been renewed and strengthened in this 61st edition too.
The strategies for a sustainable Fair
The Salone Internazionale del Mobile is the first exhibition in this sector to obtain ISO 20121 certification, an international standard intended for those organizations aiming to plan sustainable
events.
In fact, the event showed its economic and environmental responsibility by the adoption of specific strategies:
- the use of modular and reusable structures
- recyclable, recycled or environmentally friendly materials.ù
- the commitment to renew the resources used and to dispose of the waste generated
- the choice of institutional interlocutors who are led by an authentic interest in people and in the planet
“Our task is to share knowledge and skills with all actors in the design and events industry in order to develop innovative solutions, aware that what we are doing today will determine the new generations’ future. All of us are ‘changemakers’, players of this transformation”.
Maria Porro, President of Salone Internazionale del Mobile.Milano.
An exciting journey through light innovations
The engaging return of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile allowed to live an atmosphere steeped in contagious enthusiasm for both exhibitors and visitors: everyone was eager to rediscover the magic of the fair event in-person, after four long years in the shadow of the pandemic. The participants represented different nations of the world, not only European ones: the presence of Russians and Ukrainians was relevant too, who demonstrated their will of visiting the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, despite the ongoing conflict and the related difficulties, making us reflect on the deep desire for peace and normality that these peoples have…
Euroluce is an event with a strongly international DNA, that was perceived this year too when, not only Italian companies, but a wide variety of producers from multiple regions of the world exhibited their creations. Despite the cultural diversity, a common denominator emerged: a style characterized by clean and essential lines, embellished and made unique by the technological details. The manufacturers from the lighting sector also presented themselves with products inspired by the 60s and 70s, re-interpreting them in a modern key, thus bringing in the pavilions an explosion of colours, an unequivocal symbol of a rebirth of the senses and vitality. We do not limit ourselves to classic evergreens like gold, black or silver any longer.
A collective feeling
Both manufacturers and customers have expressed the desire for a change, starting to boldly embrace the colour palette in the lamp design: the colours chosen are not always vibrant and bright, but more refined and subdued. This raises an intriguing question: is this a choice dictated by the need to combine products with furnishings, or is our society not ready yet to embrace such a bold and transformative change?
Like the Pantone colour that is chosen to reflect a collective feeling every year, so this desire for colour, which could be seen at Euroluce, represents the hope and the rebirth after the period of crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, therefore, there was an atmosphere full of desire for renewal, with the introduction of new ideas that represent a clear turning point compared to the past.
Led Change System: Elesi Luce’s Declaration of Responsibility
Elesi Luce landed at the Salone di Milano with Alba, an aluminium hanging lamp with direct and indirect light. Already selected for the Adi Design Index and in the running for the coveted Compasso d’Oro, Alba meets not only the criteria of beauty and quality, but also of innovation and eco-sustainability required by the annual review for the best Italian design. One of the distinctive features of Alba is the new facilitated replacement system of its inbuilt Led.
The LED CHANGE SYSTEM is the revolutionary solution that Elesi Luce was proud to present at mEuroluce too, for a facilitated replacement of the electronic components (LED and drivers), usually not replaceable like normal bulbs since integral parts of the lamp itself.
The system allows to replace the LED source directly on site, without the need to uninstall the lamp. In this way, Elesi contributes to sustainability and energy saving, offering significant benefits to both the customer and the planet:
- quick and easy assistance
- savings on maintenance costs
- longer product life cycle
- protection of the right to repair
- decrease in waste
- reduction in consumption
- responsible use of raw materials
At Euroluce, Elesi presented the new Alba wall lamps, whose UGR is less than 19 as recommended by the EN 12464-1 standard, to ensure high visual comfort.
Imperfetto
Imperfetto is a lamp that combines design and technology in a harmonious balance. Its unusual shape and its colours rich in contrasts make it a unique piece of furniture and of character. ELIV technology, which it can be equipped with, allows to control the lamp via wi-fi and voice control. Imperfetto exhibited its new colour nuances at Euroluce 2023, to fit with class in modern and distinctive spaces. Elesi Luce, always attentive to the market needs, enriched the collection with fresh and bright colours: fashion pink, light blue and sage green. The latter in particular, we are sure will be dominant in the future, since it evokes harmony, naturalness and well-being.
The new collections
Bianca
Elesi Luce presented Bianca, whose structure is in aluminium with replaceable inbuilt led for a greater sustainability, for the first time at Euroluce 2023.
Distinctive features of the new lamp by Elesi Luce are the purity and the harmony expressed by the circle, in addition to the material chosen for the lampshade: milky white glass blown by hand in Veneto, by an ancient and precious technique that makes each piece unique. Moreover, it can also be surmounted to taste, in pairs or in small groups, thus creating ever-new shapes and colour combinations. These details give Bianca an elegance and versatility that make it suitable to different environments and styles.
Plettro
Among the novelties of Euroluce 2023, Elesi Luce proposed Plettro, a lamp that is inspired by the shape of the musical plectrum, a symbol of creativity and harmony. The inbuilt LED reduces environmental impact and increases its sustainability by the LED-Change system. Plettro is a ceiling lamp that reflects light on a frosted glass, creating a uniform and cosy atmosphere. Presented in a versatile wall declination too. A modern and functional lamp, ideal for both professional and home environments.
Medusa
For Euroluce 2023, Elesi Luce developed together with Debonademeo Studio, Medusa a lamp that evokes the ethereal profile of jellyfish, fascinating and mysterious sea creatures. Medusa is a hanging lamp that combines metal spheres and canneté glass cylinders, creating play of light and transparency.
Elesi Luce re-proposes the canneté effect, a very popular decorative detail between the 30s and 60s: the canneté glass is worked by hand through a refined process that gives it an elegant texture and projects it into the design trends of the future. The lamp, with its poetry and originality, brings a touch of magic and naturalness to the environment.
Composizioni
To customize the lighting according to each environment and style, Elesi Luce presented, with agreater emphasis than in the past, the possibility of matching different ceiling structures with hanging ones of various shapes and sizes, which are inspired by other collections in the company catalog.
The lamps are all handcrafted in Italy with quality materials and inbuilt LEDs, for an efficient and sustainable lighting.
Eviva Plus
Eviva Plus is a product patented by Elesi Luce: a design lamp that combines LED efficiency with modularity and customization. With its electrified single-tube system, with a diameter of just 6 mm, Eviva Plus offers an adjustable and comfortable light, ideal for enhancing the objects and the style of the spaces.
Beyond design
Euroluce 2023 wanted to go beyond design, showing how lighting can be not only an aesthetic element, but also a factor that affects health and the environmental future.
In fact, light has visual, emotional and biological effects on humans, and it can contribute to sustainability and energy saving. Elesi Luce has interpreted this vision, offering products that combine design and technology, innovation and eco-sustainability, beauty and functionality. Its lamps are designed to create light experiences that adapt to people’s needs and rhythms, improving their well-being and their quality of life. An opportunity not to be missed to light spaces with style and intelligence.
