LUMIÈRES IN MILAN
Following its Paris debut, LUMIÈRES features Saint-Louis's lightingcollections in Milan's Brera district, tailored for the cloister ofthe Santa Maria del Carmine church during 2023 Design Week.Meet its designers, Noemi Schipfer and Takami Nakamoto, visualsartists.
The light-imbued scenography comes with spaces, objects, and various materials. How do you work with crystal in particular?
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Our approach is deliberately minimalist and abstract. We create experiences out of these luminokinetic universes. In this exhibition, we wanted to bring the object to life through light, highlighting the diffractive effect of crystal and using the graphic spectra offered by the patterns of the cut. To accentuate these effects, we have chosen to work only with clear crystal. We were also inspired by the sounds of crystal and the noises of Saint-Louis workshops, where the master crystal blowers and cutters work.
How did you orchestrate this exhibition?
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The materiality of crystal led us to approach the scenography differently. To spotlight the objects, with a comparatively small size relative to the exhibition space and its architecture, and to make lights into the true protagonists of this scenography, we have grouped them by their respective category or collection. And we composed a soundtrack and a luminous score for each section, like an instrumental ensemble. For example, the modular and wall arborescence of the Folia collection, guide visitors to reminisce about a wander through the forest that surrounds the Saint-Louis workshops. The table lamps come alive to the rhythm of a pulsating light that emanates from them. As for the Royal chandelier, we managed a visual and sound hacking of its 48 lights which stage it as a real solo!
Which images and sounds do you want to keep from this experience?
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We really like the sconces which beam light like rays of the Sun. Their spherical shape led us to work on rotation, drawn from our memory of the ballet of incandescent balls that craftsmen twirl on the end of their pipes with such virtuosity. This dancing moment, imprinted in our minds, has guided us throughout our creative process.
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