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Artemide: Illuminating Innovation and Timeless Design in Italian Lighting

Artemide is known as the leader in Italian design lamps. For over 60 years, they have been bringing innovative lamps to market that are characterised as 'design classics'. My admiration for this brand is great, because staying at the forefront of innovative design for 60 years is a remarkable achievement. This week, we dive into Italian brand Artemide with Whoppah explores.

Evelien
Evelien Bunnik-Remmelts
Artemide Tolomeo bureaulamp

Founded

Artemide was founded in 1960 by Ernesto Gismondi and Sergio Mazza and based in a suburb of Milan. Success came quickly to Artemide with its classic designs such as the 1972 Tizio desk lamp by Richard Sapper and the 1986 Tolomeo desk lamp by Michele de Lucchi. The company's motto: light at the service of man and his needs. Technological research, collaborations with great designers, continuous research, also in the socio-cultural field, are the basis of Artemide's success.

Ernesto Gismondi

Gismondi, born in San Remo in 1931. Ernesto Gismondi studied as an aeronautical engineer and later, during his very long career, he became an entrepreneur, designer and teacher. He also held numerous ancillary positions during his career. For instance, he was a member of the influential Memphis design movement, the National Council for Economics and Labour and was Vice-President of the Association for Industrial Design. He also designed a number of products for Artemide himself and was president of the brand at the time of his death in 2020. His ambition was always to distinguish Artemide through innovation with R&D facilities as the heart of the company.

Funfact: Gismondi chose the name because of to appear in the telephone directory for Azucena, Caccia Dominioni's design company.

Tolomeo

One of Artemide's best-known and most popular lamps is the Tolomeo collection. The Tolomeo lamp was designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassino in 1986 and was immediately a huge hit that it won the prestigious "Compasso d'Oro" award in 1989. Since then, the lamp can be found on many stylish desks and, of course, many an architect's drawing board.

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