EXHIBITION BOOKLET

“La Luce” is an itinerant exhibition constantly growing, where new editions and new discoveries, like newly restored original pieces, are added at each new opening”, says the curator Valentina Folli who designed the exhibition with her Studio UNA.

La Luce exhibition, originally conceived as a chronological path intertwining Le Corbusier's and Charlotte Perriand's selected works on lighting had to be re-arranged for the Saint-Pierre church, due to the open masterplan of the church’s basement.As the basement composition of adjoining rooms leaves the visitor free to move around and contemplate the space from different angles, so the exhibition flow was organized into thematic areas, connected to each other.

The rhythm of the exhibition is also designed to follow the façade succession of windows and walls and the building floor shifts: Le Corbusier on the ground floor, Perriand in the mezzanine. A stretched out visiting pace, to discover the original prototypes through the exhibition, to explore the space, and to immerse into the Masters pioneering visions.

For the first time, in Firminy, there will be also a parallel path for children, a series of illustrated panels will tell the story and anecdotes for a selection of lamps,explaining the importance of design and the ideas behind them.

“We believe that, when designing architecture and objects, we are obliged to look forward and to look back at the same time, between traces of the past and ambitions for the future, to reach the idea of “good project”, that inspires our work.

When speaking of Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, Nemo is the contemporary interpreter of the projects suggested by them. Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand’s lamps were designed to be absolute projects, but they were realized exclusively for the architectures for which they were designed.

Nemo, the Le Corbusier Foundation and Pernette Perriand took together the original suggestion and realized projects that are and will be a reference in the design world. Quality of product is found in its discreet presence in every environment. Its being does not need aesthetic justifications and it lives simply by doing its job. In the same way, those lamps, created for innovative and strongly modern architectural and inte-rior projects, suggest a timeless quality that makes them simple, iconic and always authentic.

Nemo’s job, along with Le Corbusier Foundation and Charlotte Perriand’s Archives, consisted in calibrating details, finishes and technical updates, without ever betraying the original essence of the products, in order not to fall in the nostalgic or in the vin-tage and not to change the spartan and sophisticated nature that makes them unique.

For this reason, Nemo, after the studies and selection of these last years, wishes to share this exclusive material, for the first time, in an exercise that we believe it is beautiful, useful and new.”

Federico Palazzari, CEO of NEMO.

Illustrations by Giulia Rossena

This applique (wall lamp) was conceived for the Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouveau presented during a decorative arts exhibition in 1924. It was then remade for the staircase of the Maison La Roche - a private house near Paris - in 1925.

This lamp is an example of a creation made with existing items, also called "ready-made" technique.

Le Corbusier chosed to use Chalier lamps originally conceived to light shop windows. He used only the tube and added two brackets.

The lack of ornements shows the object in its purest form and highlights its functionnality, as described by Arthur Ruegg, a Professor of architecture, and author of several reference books about Le Corbusier's design (see quote).

The item presented here is the original lamp created for the Maison La Roche, where it was replaced by a Nemo reedition.

L’ APPLIQUE ESPRIT NOUVEAU / LA ROCHE

First part: LE CORBUSIER

THE SCHWOB LAMPS

In 1916, Le Corbusier designed the Villa Schwob, located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, his birthtown in Switzerland. The 19-year-

old architect created two surprising lamps :

• The chandelier (top right picture), which original shape was designed copying the plan of the villa.

The naked light bulbs are willingly unhidden on a simple metallic grid.

• The floor lamp (exhibited here) was inspired by urban lighting furniture. Le Corbusier transformed a

functional object into a interior decorating item. The light bulb he chose was a car headlight in order to get more light.

LE CORBUSIER : INDUSTRIAL FORMS

First part: LE CORBUSIER

Quite early in his career, Le Corbusier payed a particular attention to the interior decoration of his buildings. He created himself furniture and lamps in order to accomodate every special need. The first creations were mostly inspired by the functionalism of the industrial era: Le Corbusier rejected ornements and worked on "machines" to light (see quote).

The « Marseille » lamps are among Le Corbusier's design masterpieces. Their names were chosen for Nemo Lighting marketing. They come from the proximity of shapes between these two models - even though the applique was never used in Marseille.

Both lamps are composed of two superimposed cones providing a double emission of light:• upwards, directed to the ceiling and replacing the natural light. • downwards, in order to light the wall paintings or for reading.

LAMPE ET APPLIQUE "DE MARSEILLE"

Next room

The "applique de Marseille" was created by Le Corbusier for his studio-apartment in Paris where he lived from

1934 on.

The "lampe de Marseille" is an adjustable wall lamp with two joints on the arm and a rotating wall fixing. It was designed for the Cité Radieuse in Marseille.

First part : LE CORBUSIER

After World War II, Le Corbusier's design evolved. He slowly stopped using right angles and funtional forms and started using more organical shapes.

Le Corbusier liked walking in nature and used to collect rocks, shells and plants which he then sketched and used as a source of inspiration. He called them "Objets à réaction poétique" (objects of poetic reaction).

ESCARGOT [LC I]

The snail ("escargot" in French) is one the most frequent inspiration in the architect's work.

Thanks to the peculiar shape of the snail shell, he can hide the light bulb and reflect it at the same time. The light flux is thus more subtle and not dazzlingly bright.

This lamp was meant to be outdoors but sometimes was used indoors, for instance in the Housing Units. You can see it in the hall of Firminy's building.

ORGANIC FORMS

Première partie: LE CORBUSIERFirst part: LE CORBUSIER

The first model of this "Lampe en béton" (concrete lamp) was designed for the park of the Cité Radieuse in Marseille. Several different versions were

conceived afterwards, for instance in the Indian city of Chandigarh (top right picture).

A bigger version was designed for the Maison de la Culture (Cultural Centre) in Firminy. A seat was added to transform

it into a bench/lamp which profile was inspired by the shape of a musical note.

This lamp is now commercialised by Nemo in smaller versions easier to transport and adapt to current interior decors.

This lamp may be one of Le Corbusier's most famous design as evidenced by the world-famous rapper Kanye

West's interview (see quote).

LAMPE EN BÉTON [LC IV]

First part: LE CORBUSIER

The inner streets of the Housing Units are lit up by individual wall lamps ("applique" in French) located on top of each apartment door. Facing the doors, these lamps punctuate the architecture by highlighting their colours.

Their profiles was inspired by the shape of a rock and, as with the snail shell, provide a diffuse undazzling light.

In Marseille, each lamp has the same colour as the door it lights up. In Firminy however, they exist only in dark grey.

The exhibited models (under glass) are two of the original lamps from the Housing Unit of Firminy (on loan from the OPH Firminy).

APPLIQUE D’ENTRÉE [LC III]

Next roomFirst part: LE CORBUSIER

LAMPE MAISON DU BRÉSIL

The exhibition continues in the staircase

In 1959, Le Corbusier conceived a college campus called the Maison du Brésil in the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris. For the rooms, he

designed wall lamps to be placed above the beds.

With its double emission - upwards and downwards- it lights up the room and can be used as a reading lamp at the same time.

These two lamps were designed for the Cabanon, a little cabin built in 1951 and located in the South of France near the Mediterranean Sea, where Le Corbusier used to go on vacation.

• The "lampe de lecture" (reading lamp) is a wall lamp inspired by the shape of a shell with a pivoting slide adapting the light flux.

• The "lampe à poser" (table lamp) is a ready-made creation: Thomas Rebutato, a friend of Le Corbusier's, found an exploded shell on the beach. With a copper frame and tracing paper, the architect transformed it into a design lamp.

CABANON LAMPS

WALL LAMPS

Première partie: LE CORBUSIERPremière partie: LE CORBUSIERFirst part: LE CORBUSIER

CHANDIGARH

The exhibition continues upstairs

In the 1950s, Le Corbusier started to work on the urban plan and the conception of a few buildings of the Indian city of Chandigarh. Lamps were reedited, adapted or created for the innovative architecture.

This lamp was created for the Palace of Justice. The original version reached a diametre of 365 mm. It was used as a

model for a whole range of lamps: fixated onto a wall or a post, placed on the floor in a concrete shell or buried and covered

by a glass panel. Its design may seem familiar since it has been a source of

inspiration for many contemporary lamps.

PROJECTEUR 365

This item is quite similar to the "lampe de Marseille": two cones providing a double emission upwards and downwards. This lamp post version was conceived for the Parliament of Chandigarh. Nemo's items colours come from the interior decors original polychromy.

PARLIAMENT

Première partie: LE CORBUSIERPremière partie: LE CORBUSIERPremière partie: LE CORBUSIERFirst part: LE CORBUSIER

In the 1940s, Charlotte Perriand was invited to Japan by the Trade Minister. She discovered the philosophy and the art of living of

this country, where she stayed several times.

In the 1960s, she went to Brazil on several occasions. She discovered this completely different culture, including

the Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religious tradition, involving music, dances, and voodoo rituals.

As Le Corbusier, she used to collect various objects: fossils, fishbones, devil statues; many

items that inspired her design work.

This is how she created this structure for the lanterns of the Japanese designer Isamu Noguchi as told by her

daughter, Pernette Perriand-Barsac (see quote).

RIO - STRUCTURE POUR LANTERNES

Deuxième partie: Ch. PERRIANDSecond part: Ch. PERRIAND

CHARLOTTE PERRIAND :TRAVELS AND INSPIRATIONSThe Rio lamp shows how travels and foreign cultures were important inspirations in Charlotte Perriand's work.

"READY-MADE" WALL LAMPS

Charlotte Perriand needed a wall lamp for her apartment in Paris. She used a Grebel car headlight that she bought at the Salon

de l'automobile - Paris Motor Show - and attached it with a mechanical hinge.

PHARE SAINT-SULPICE

This cantilevered lamp is one of the designer's most famous creations. It sums up the essence of her work:• the ready-made technique: the original lamp was created with

plumbing pipes and a naked light bulb,• the sobriety of the forms: two straight lines and a right angle,• functionnalism: thanks to the pivot, this lamp can light a

large surface.

The original lamp which is exhibited against the wall comes from Charlotte Perriand's studio-apartment. This lamp was much used in her everyday life, as described by her coworker and son-in-law, Jacques Barsac (see quote).

POTENCE PIVOTANTE

Second part: Ch. PERRIAND Next room

Sometimes for economic reasons or purely aesthetic inspirations, Charlotte Perriand cleverly adopted the ready-made technique to create suprising lamps (see quote).

LAMPS WITH A PIVOTING SLIDE

This lamp was never commercialised during Chralotte Perriand's lifetime. The original lamp that is exhibited here was a non completed prototype.

It inspired Nemo Lighting to create the items they now commercialise.

With its pivoting "door", this lamp provides an adjustable and wide light flux.

PIVOTANTE À POSER

The colour and the light intensity of these wall lamps were meant to replace natural light at night or on cloudy days. The lamp is to be fixed next to a window and adapts to the standard dimensions of the latter.

Nemo's new item will be presented soon at the Salone del Mobile in Milan.

APPLIQUES CYLINDRIQUES

Second part: Ch. PERRIAND

Following her research in functional design, Charlotte Perriand conceived a range of lamps with a pivoting slide adapting the light flux according to the needs.

Quintessential model of Charlotte Perriand's design, this lamp was created more than 50 years ago but is still surprisingly modern and functional.

Charlotte Perriand imagined a first version in 1962 for her chalet in Méribel, a winter resort in the French Alps. It was first meant to be a reading lamp for bunkbeds: the sliding part enables the reader not to disturb the others.

In the 1970s, she developed the range by creating two other models: a double-length version and a double-length and folded version.

Nemo Lighting commercialises the three versions in the original colours.

APPLIQUE À VOLET PIVOTANTSIMPLE, DOUBLE OU PLIÉ

End of the visit. Second part: Ch. PERRIAND

-