Bocci light installation at V&A

Omer Alber, Creative Director – Bocci at V&A London. Photo: Susan Smart.

Designed by Omer Arbel, Bocci’s creative director since 2005, this installation was the opportunity to express 28’s collection core idea – exploration of the system that produces form rather than designing the form itself.

Bocci „28.280“ light installation at V&A. LDF 2013. Photo: Susan Smart.

280 of these light spheres are suspended by a heavy copper suspension system hanging through the 30 metres tall space of V&A Museum’s main void.

Making of 28 series in Bocci’s manufacturing house based in Vancouver, Canada.

28 series are usualy designed to cluster in hexagonal shapes, which nestle into one another to create patterns as dictated by the needs of the interior. 

Individual 28 series pendants result from a complex glass blowing technique whereby air pressure is intermittently introduced into and then removed from a glass matrix (which is intermittently heated and then rapidly cooled). The result is a distorted spherical shape with a composed collection of inner shapes, one of which is made of opaque milk glass and houses a low voltage (12V, 20Watt xenon) lamp.

28 series – Bocci.

Victoria & Albert Museum in London celebrates design by hosting several exhibitions and installations during the London Design Festival acting as its main hub. Over the years many renowned artists and designers have contributed to its context – brothers Bouroullec with The Textile Fields, Nendo with The Mimicry Chairs, Keiichi Matsuda with The Prism.