A LOOK INTO THE PAST Lighting design that made people laugh, delight and provoke – Martina Bedin’s Super Lamp

Martine Bedin, a French designer, characterized the aesthetics of the Memphis group, which is synonymous with postmodernist design, with her revolutionary approach. At the same time, its lighting design stands out, especially in the case of the Super Lamp.

Born in Bordeaux in 1957. , she grew up in Corsica, where she developed her creativity inspired by the environment and local culture.

Her path to the world of design began with the study of architecture in Paris, but the real inspiration came during her stay in Florence in 1978. where she met members of the Radical Architecture movement. This meeting with fellow designers, including the founders of Studio Alchimia, Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, deeply influenced her further work.

Lighting design as an experiment

Martina Bedin’s most significant work, Super Lamp, was presented in 1978. and became an icon of the Memphis Group. This unusual lamp, described as “a little dog that she could carry around”, was part of the first experimental exhibitions of the Memphis group and caused mixed reactions from the public with its unconventional shape and vivid colors.

As she told Dezeen in an interview in 2015. year: “I’m a Mediterranean girl, I love colors and I was probably touched by something. It was something I could easily work with.”

Part of the history of lighting design

The Super lamp gained fame for its bold shapes and bright colors, which was a great reflection of Bedin’s view of design as a free art. This lamp , composed of exposed lamps extending from its curved back like stegosaurus armor and four wheels, was a pioneering move in lighting design. It is made of fiberglass, enamel, steel, rubber and a 40 watt incandescent bulb.

Today it is part of the permanent collection at London’s V&A museum, symbolizing Bedin’s vision of creating chaos in the coordination of style. Her works continue to inspire new generations of designers and remain an indispensable part of the history of lighting design.