Ross Lovegrove, 2007
Artemide, Italy
Designed by Ross Lovegrove for Artemide, the Mercury collection of lighting is a futuristic ambient functioning art spectacle of reflective indirect light. A floating assembly of large pebble-like structures, like floating blobs of mercury, in various sizes hang below a simple modern aluminum disc. Casting an upward light, each pebble in turn reflects each other and the light, bouncing light between their bio-morphic surfaces, the aluminum disc structure, and reflecting the environment around them. Each reflective pebble is constructed from molded thermoplastic with a polished chrome finish. The pebbles contain the light source in a die-cast aluminum, polished chrome finish. The grey thermoplastic disc like canopy, with clear electrical cords and stainless steel cables, continues the futuristic effect Mercury has floating in space. During the day, Mercury acts as a sculptural object, reflecting the dynamics of natural light and movement throughout the space around them. At night, the sparkle and fluidity of reflective light in moving bio-orbs is a performance not to be missed.
