The world’s highest chandelier, 36 mt. high, realized for a private mansion in Doha, has been designed in Rivoli, at Torino’s gates. Here, in an old disused mill on the Dora riverside, is based the Lucifero Illuminazione (enlightening), an artisan enterprise, founded over 25 years ago by Roberto Cutuli and his brother-in-law Franco Tamion. An enterprise, which was born, as many others, “in the basement, where we started realizing the first lamps for our friends up until we have been asked to ‘enlighten’ the mansion of Maria Luigia in Parma”. Thence the breakthrough, the opportunity to make us known, and the first catalog release.
Though, why did you choose the name Lucifero? “It’s the name of the most beautiful angel in Paradise, who with his conceit defies the divine beauty and therefore he’s punished. – Roberto Cutuli explains – And we play between the beauty of light and the intrigue, the transgression, the sin, that is to say, the darkness”. In the restored rooms of the disused mill, in fact, light and darkness seem to play hide-and-seek, unveiling some of the most significant pieces of the collection: theatrical lamps, faces of enlightened women, also an homage to Leonardo Da Vinci with a 4,5 mt high reinterpretation of the Gioconda. “Our pieces are completely handmade by master artisans – Roberto Cutuli claims – They are one-of-a-kind, but replicable items. We try as much as possible to maintain a very short, almost km 0 supply-chain”. The lights of Lucifero Illuminazione have reached also some Costa Crociere ships, the Ogr location in Torino, but even, just lately, the house used in the past two editions of the “Grande Fratello”. Biannually a new collection is launched.
Among the next realizations, there will be the ‘Smart Handrail’, a steel handrail that can be enlightened by smart devices. But where does inspiration come from for these works? “Quite often under stress – Roberto Cutuli answers – in those moments I give my best, but also when I listen to music. All kinds of music: pop as well as classical music. I like listening to it at high volume in order to plunge into the notes”. “An absolutely needed characteristic to be creative is a 360-degree curiosity. I am curious, also in things that I do not know, such as the technological world: it fascinates me and I often realize that I’m imagining situations or solutions that aren’t conceived, yet”.
Lucifero’s lamps have been and are sold all over the world: from the USA to Russia, Canada, Korea, Japan, Zimbabwe. Hard times have also occurred: the 2018 crisis “has represented a step back”, but also “a moment to re-think our identity, re-discover our proudly being craftsmen, capable to handmade items, that transmit our inspiration. I think that also the pandemic will bring a moment to reflect, that maybe will help to re-discover the value and the right price for handmade products. Here in Italy we are used to living the Beautiful and we quite take it for granted. This often leads to the bad habit of downgrading our amazing works, whose price is often the sum of such a quantity of real quality. We hope that this moment will interrupt the trend towards unbridled disposable consumerism and will make us recover the taste for the purchase eventually reduced in quantity, but imprinted by the true artisanal high quality. I strive for the awareness of the right price, even high price, but conscious of the ‘backstage’, that doesn’t mean to follow passively the fashion of renowned brands. It’s up to us, the artisans, to make it better understandable through a strong crosswise thought, that can raise everybody’s awareness”.
LUCIFERO ILLUMINAZIONE
Via Molini 35, 10098 Rivoli (TO)
011/79598433
lucifero@luciferoilluminazione.com
www.luciferoilluminazione.com
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