A dual foundation: technical innovation and humanism. Artemide was established in 1960 by Sergio Mazza and Ernesto Gismondi with this unique positioning. However, their language wasn't the marketing jargon of today. Instead, they were driven by a holistic vision of well-being—one that considers context, trusts in technological innovation, and prioritizes human needs as they evolve. Ernesto Gismondi was Artemide's backbone and driving force until his recent passing in 2020. Over time, the company adopted the motto “The Human and Responsible Light,” shared by the entire team, including Carlotta de Bevilacqua, now CEO.
8 Artemide lights you need to know
Founded in 1960, the company’s catalogue includes some of the most beautiful lamps ever made, signed by some of the greatest names in design: here is a selection of its most emblematic products.
photo credits: Sergio Libis
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- Giulia Zappa
- 03 December 2024
Gismondi’s atypical background explains why Artemide stands out among lighting companies. After a classical education typical of his bourgeois milieu, Gismondi earned two degrees in aerospace and missile engineering, giving Artemide a distinct technical DNA. Early on, alongside Mazza, the company also designed furniture and accessories using the decade's new material—plastic. Notable examples include the Toga by Mazza and Selene by Vico Magistretti. Eventually, lighting became Artemide’s primary focus. In the booming, entrepreneurial Italy of the 1960s, Artemide’s early successes included designs such as Alfa, Eclisse, Nesso, Aggregato, and later Tizio and Tolomeo.
However, the company didn’t rest on its laurels. Beyond consumer products, Artemide expanded into systemic and architectural lighting, a shift exemplified in 1985 with Aton, the first suspended lighting bar, followed by many other projects. In the 1990s, Artemide’s Metamorfosi project explored colored light—not as a virtuosic technological hubris but as a tool for emotional and psychological well-being.
Committed to technological advancements, Artemide pioneered LED lighting with the Sui and Kaio lamps, designed by de Bevilacqua and Gismondi, around the millennium. Fifteen years later, the company delved into IoT and Li-Fi technologies, using light for data transmission. Collaborations with renowned architects like BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), Mario Cucinella, Foster+Partners, and Herzog & de Meuron further solidified Artemide’s reputation.
The missile that Gismondi dreamed of building in his youth never came to fruition—and perhaps that’s not a bad thing. The Greek goddess of the hunt, after whom Artemide is named, seems to have aimed true, bringing remarkable fortune to this enduring brand. In 1994, the company received the Compasso d’Oro for lifetime achievement, followed by the European Design Prize in 1997 and the Leonardo Quality Italy Award in 2012.
Opening image: Vico Magistretti, Eclisse. Courtesy Artemide
This iconic piece of Italian design is undoubtedly one of the most atmospheric lamps, able to transform its expressive capacity along with the surrounding space through a simple rotary movement that evokes the motion of celestial bodies. It's said that Vico Magistretti designed this table lamp inspired by the lanterns in Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. However, its slightly space-age form rejects any vernacular formalism and, especially, any moral reference to the relationship between light and darkness typical of the French master, opting instead for a fascination with pure geometric shapes.
Geometry is also the reason for its functional performance: two concentric spherical lampshades, one inner and rotating, allow it to partially or fully shade the light from the bulb. Awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1967, it remains in production and is part of design museum collections worldwide. Few changes have been made to the original design—only a small knob was added to facilitate the rotation of the shade, and the metal finishing process now reduces emissions and solvent usage.
What does a lamp look like, and how can it take on a changing form? Livio Castiglioni and Gianfranco Frattini offer a pop-inspired answer to these questions. To imagine this linear lamp, the inspiration came from a PVC vacuum cleaner tube. Metal rings add to its durability, while 25 bulbs spread over two meters light up the tube.
Its modular nature allows it to be extended, connecting up to four Boalum units. Domus described it as “a snake of infinite light,” but unlike a snake, Boalum invites interaction, allowing users to shape it to their habits or whims. In production from 1970 to 1983, it has been updated to use LED lighting.
One of Richard Sapper’s masterpieces, awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1979, Tizio’s design is a pure expression of technical elegance.
Its strength lies in the visual comfort it provides in any setting, thanks to its counterbalanced arm and adjustable head that move with a single, delicate gesture. The cylindrical base houses a transformer that powers a small halogen bulb, all without the need for cables.
A timeless lamp, unassuming yet perfectly fitting in any environment, Tolomeo was designed by Michele De Lucchi as a personal reinterpretation of the 1933 Naska Loris table lamp, featuring visible springs. Production engineer Giancarlo Fassina played a key role in its technical development. Like Tizio, Tolomeo is a movable lamp: its articulated arm, with an internal spring balance, allows for flexible positioning of the satin aluminum diffuser.
Awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1989, it became one of the greatest Italian design bestsellers. Within a year of its launch, over 500,000 units were sold. The Tolomeo family has since expanded with wall, suspension, and outdoor versions, including a maxi model.
“I started with the idea of freezing a moment that feels like the air flowing over a thin sheet,” said Ross Lovegrove about Cosmic Angel. A chandelier that evolves from a poetic inspiration to a biomorphic yet highly technological aesthetic, suitable for the new millennium’s futuristic style.
The design features two lighting elements—smooth, cast-aluminum stones suspended by metal wires that direct light onto a large opal methacrylate diffuser. Its textured surface creates a changing, hypnotic effect through light reflections.
What if light not only illuminated but also contributed to well-being? There’s a humanist, as well as engineering, awareness behind this lamp designed by Carlotta de Bevilacqua, embodying the spirit of Artemide's Metamorfosi research project of the 1990s. Using three dichroic spotlights and a careful study of color's cognitive effects, Yang can produce 16 million color variations, including white, adapting to emotional preferences.
Its design exposes the innovation behind it, showcasing the technical elements through transparent methacrylate. The six aluminum feet allow for adjustment, further tailoring the light to the user's needs. A remote control offers 10 pre-programmed light settings, with the option to store favorites.
The head, which rotates 360 degrees to direct light where needed, has a magnetic connection separating electrical components from the mechanical system. Available in versions for suspension, wall mounting, floor, table, and spot use.
The head, which rotates 360 degrees to direct light where needed, has a magnetic connection separating electrical components from the mechanical system. Available in versions for suspension, wall mounting, floor, table, and spot use.
Famous is the phrase in which Bruno Munari, upon visiting a hosiery factory, suggested they start making lamps. “We don’t make lamps,” they replied, to which he responded, “You’ll see, you will.” The rest is history: a flexible stocking tube is fitted with seven rings of varying diameters. Gravity works its magic, resulting in an extendable, sculptural lamp inspired by bamboo after Munari’s trip to Japan.
A democratic lamp, in part due to its commercial accessibility, Falkland demonstrates how simplicity, seemingly trivial in form, is actually the result of an incredibly complex design synthesis. Launched by Danese in 1964, it became part of Artemide's catalog in 2014.