Usually, when I choose a lamp, it’s more for how easy it is to use and not really how pretty it is. But there are also times when I’d like to have something that can either be a conversation piece or something that is more aesthetically pleasing than just a device that lights up my room or table. Artemide is a lighting manufacturer that has made a name for itself when it comes to functional and decorative design. We featured their recent Integralis line at the Salone del Mobile 2022 and in fact, named them as one of the best-designed products featured at the exhibition. Their new collaboration with Foster + Partners seems to be another win for those looking for functional and aesthetic lamps for their spaces.

Designer: Foster + Partners

The IXA line of high-powered LED lamps was inspired by American sculptor Alexander Calder’s mobiles and “stabiles”. They wanted to evoke “elegant balance” within the design alongside the technical, precise engineering you would need to come up with a beautiful but functional product. They played around with weight and movement and brought the human-centered approach that Artemide has become known for. There’s also a pretty flexible and personalized approach with their design as users are able to adjust the fixtures to their needs and preferences.

The first phase in the IXA collection, which are really pieces of kinetic sculptures, brings table, floor, and wall lamps featuring a 100-millimeter opaque sphere. It may be visually simple but these lamps actually have a technical complexity to them, giving “graceful motion” to the different lighting fixtures in the collection. Each head is actually connected to its stem with a magnetic socket which lets you rotate it in any direction that you need it to light up. The jack connectors meanwhile give you 360 degrees rotation. The wall and floor lamps have a counterbalance with matching weights at the opposite end of their stems.

The collection comes in four colorways: charcoal, slip, crane, and ink. When the second phase is eventually released, it will come with a larger translucent sphere and so it will fit more for ambient lighting rather than the more functional purpose of this first collection. These lamps will add not just add illumination to whatever room you place it in but also add some design sensibility whatever your theme may be.