An unpredictable visionary, Ingo Maurer experimented with the design of light. Yet perhaps it would be more correct to say that he played with light, leaving the world with genuinely unique luminous objects. Born in Germany in 1932, the son of an inventor, Maurer initially trained as a typographer and graphic designer. It didn't take long for him to divert his energies and imagination towards lighting design. In the early '60s, he founded his office, Design M, and immediately began to express his fertile creativity, giving life to the famous Bulb lamp in 1966. Bulb is based on a simple but innovative concept; the actual light bulb is contained within a giant blown glass bulb that acts as a lamp holder. The lamp is still produced by what later became his company, Ingo Maurer GmbH, based in Munich. The brand manufactures and markets lamps designed by Maurer and, after his death in 2019, by his collaborators and successors.
Maurer's designs clearly express his desire to use poor materials like plastic and aluminium or other recycled materials. In addition to the Bulb lamp, many Maurer creations have taken their places in design history. Hearts Attack (1997) is made up of 48 glowing hearts that can be oriented at will; Zettel'z, also from 1997, is an original chandelier made of small sheets of paper stapled to a metal structure; users can write notes, poems, drawings or other things on the paper; Luccellino (1989) is a winged light bulb with goose feathers. And then there are Birds, birds, birds (1992), Porca Miseria! (1994), MaMo Nouchies (1998). Like a work of art, an Ingo Maurer lamp does not leave us feeling indifferent. We cannot always understand if we like it or not, but we cannot help but welcome its provocation, which is never aggressive or violent but always ironic and amusing.
In addition to the design and production of lamps, Maurer's projects also include light installations in public and private spaces that can be considered almost artistic performances. The first exhibition consecrating the designer was held in Paris in 1989 at the Fondation Cartier. It was entitled "Ingo Maurer: Lumière Hasard Réflexion", in which he was able to give free rein to his creative inspiration in twelve different spaces. He has received numerous prizes and awards over the years culminating in the Design Award from the Federal Republic of Germany in 2010 and the Compasso d'Oro Career Award in 2011.