Spectacular and minimalist, WireLine is an object halfway between artistic creation and an industrial design product. With the WireLine pendant, the Italian artist duo Formafantasma continues the design principle of WireRing, their first lamp created for Flos in 2017. An exercise in subtraction, which breaks down the lamp into its most essential components: the electric cable and the light source. It’s the electric cable that Formafantasma again uses for WireLine as a distinctive element of the project. The power cable – something we usually try to hide – becomes a key element of design, generating the shape and aesthetics of the light. As flat as a strap and made of rubber, the cable hangs from the ceiling by both ends. It forms an arc that retains a fluted, extruded glass tube containing the LED light source. The lamp plays on the contrast between the industrial texture of rubber and the sophisticated aspect of fluted glass with an Art Deco feel. This large WireLine pendant dresses the space in a masterly way, creating a spectacular architectural scenography. Yet, and this is the heart of the project, its constituent elements are simple and minimalist: when folded and dismantled, this pendant has very small dimensions. The WireLine pendant can be installed on its own, or repeated for elaborate visual compositions where a tangle of straps appears to spread and grow like vines. The designers explain: “It’s more technical than conceptual minimalism. When installed, the lamp is large and spectacular. Disassembled, it’s reduced down to simple, compact elements. The other interesting aspect is that it’s a module that can be copied and combined in different ways. The height can be changed, adapted for a home environment or large spaces.” “The two lamps we created for Flos were born out of a desire to use the electric cable as a star element in the design. For WireLine, we flattened the rubber to make it look like a belt and take on a key role: supporting the extruded, ribbed glass tube that houses the LED light source. We chose these materials to create a playful contrast between the industrial feel of rubber and the sophisticated sensuality of glass. The packaging has minimal dimensions.” “We like the idea of ​​building a story that can last over time. The question we originally asked ourselves was: what can we do with the minimum necessary to create a light? Continuing the direction taken with WireRing but changing the scale, with WireLine, we wanted to give life to an extremely scenographic product which, once dismantled – as in WireRing – simply consists of a light tube and an electric cable. We tried to work by reduction, in search of an object as minimal as possible. The main part of the project is the engineering of the cable. It’s the electric wire hidden in the rubber band that creates the lamp. The electric wire replaced the bulb. LEDs have changed the rules of the game in terms of design, use and human experience. This change has made light an area for pioneers and the most exciting field of exploration in design.” Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin are the two Italian designers who form Amsterdam-based studio Formafantasma. WireLine illustrates their work perfectly: pure industrial design enhanced by an artistic approach. Their work is thoughtful and intuitive, but also particularly fresh, because it offers new visions of design and the world in general. The duo have a series of dedications and exhibitions in the major capitals of the world. It’s their atypical, organic, often collaborative approach that positions this duo as “the design visionaries of tomorrow”. The duo explain: “As designers, whenever we start a new project or explore a material, our first intention is to challenge stereotypes and clichés”.

In detail:

Variation : Pink strap / Transparent tube

Brand : Flos

Designer : Formafantasma

Type : Pendant

Colour : Strap & ceiling rose: pink / Diffuser tube: transparent & steel nuts

Material : Extruded transparent fluted glass tube with internal opaline polycarbonate diffuser, satin stainless-steel nuts – Coloured rubber cable – Polycarbonate ceiling rose

Dimensions : Tube: L 130 cm – Strap length: min. 200 cm / max. 405 cm – Space between the tube and the bottom of the strap: H 105 cm

Weight : 16.5 lb

Characteristics : The electric cable is contained inside the flat, coloured rubber strap – Two ceiling ties (supplied) – Adjustable strap height – Diffused light – Dimmable (push, 1-10, potentiometer, DALI) – Integrated LED light source: 1 x LED module 45W, 2793lm, 2700K, CRI90

Country of Manufacture : Italy