"Lightopia": Pipistrello at the Vitra Design Museum

In the last century, the electric light has revolutionized our lives, it has transformed our cities, created new styles of living and working conditions, and has become a catalyst for the advancement of industry, medicine and communication. The new lighting technologies today are causing profound changes in our society, as happened in the last century. This is the theme of the exhibition "Lightopia" presented at the Vitra Design Museum from 28 September 2013 to 16 March 2014 - the first comprehensive showcase dedicated to the culture and projectuality related to lighting, an exhibition that will present examples related to art, design, architecture and many other disciplines. Martinelli Luce will be present in this framework with Pipistrello, designed by Gae Aulenti in 1965, fully entering into the dialogue of works on display in "Lightopia," helping to build a true path that starts from the last century and ends with the radical changes that occur today. Parallel to the exhibition, the Vitra Design Museum will present a catalog of 300 pages in three volumes with over 300 illustrations - including most representative photos of Pipistrello and of Gae Aulenti - which will be published in conjunction with the exhibition. Among the authors of Lightopia catalog there will be some of the leading international experts on design and lighting as Peter Weibel, Sidney Perkowitz, Hartmut Böhme and Bart Loomtsma. After the presentation at the Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition will travel to other museums around the world.