Ingo Maurer 1932-2019

On October 21, Ingo Maurer died at the age of 87 in Munich, surrounded by his family.

The luminaires and light objects of Maurer are regarded as pioneering in design. Among his most famous designs are his first work, Bulb (1966), the low voltage halogen system YaYaHo (1984), the winged light bulb Lucellino (1992), the pendant lamp Zettel’z (1997), One From The Heart (1989) and Porca Miseria! (1994).

His designs can be found in the collections of the world’s most important museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. An exhibition recently opened at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, which provides new insights into his work.

Maurer has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Design Prize of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Compasso d’Oro for his life’s work.

Considered a pioneer in the development and use of the latest lighting innovations, Maurer was a great admirer of the light bulb, which he described as the “ideal symbiosis of poetry and technology”. He used lowvoltage halogen systems in the 1980s, and produced the first LED desk lamp in 2001.

Born on the island of Reichenau on Lake Constance in 1932, Maurer went to the USA in 1960 after completing an apprenticeship as a typesetter and studying commercial graphics. Until 1963, he worked as a freelance graphic artist. After returning to Munich, he travelled extensively in Japan, Brazil and other countries, especially the USA, eventually living in New York for more than 40 years.

Together with his long-standing colleagues, he developed iconic lamps that blur the lines between utility and art objects in the Designerei in Munich-Schwabing. The special mixture of poetry and technology, pointed with an ironic twinkle in the eye, characterises Maurer’s designs. His development processes were playful and unconventional, always in search of an extraordinary solution.

Describing the creative process, he said: “First, the idea of an object arises in my head - like a dream. Only in the next step I search together with my team for ways for the realisation. Sometimes it takes decades until the technical developments make our imagination possible.” In order to realise this vision, Maurer decided as early as 1966 to manufacture all of his own products, and to this day, all of his luminaires are manufactured in Munich.

Maurer set international standards with design commissions in both the private and public sectors. The lighting of the underground stations Westfriedhof (1998) and Müncher Freiheit (2009) in Munich, as well as the pendulum Flying to Peace for Messe Frankfurt (2018) are just some of the highlights of a long list of commissioned works. In 2018, he completed one of his most multifaceted projects – an overall concept for the Tsinandali Winery in Georgia.

Since 19th October, the Residenztheater in Munich has been shining in a new light with the Silver Cloud, the most recent piece of iconic work from the late light artist. Together with his design team, Maurer developed a completely new lighting concept including the Silver Cloud and new red LED lettering on the glass façade.

The design refers to a light object that Maurer designed for Issey Miyake 20 years ago: A cloud of reflecting leaves. The Silver Cloud focuses on the playful reality of theatre art, with its 3,000 silver leaves constantly in motion. This is ensured by seven gold-coloured fans inside the object that blow a breeze through the cloud. On top, a small gold-coloured grid-shape is located in the object, which gives the design an asymmetrical weight.

A statement on his company website reads: “We mourn our founder and mentor. The company was his family, and so we always felt. We will always remember him and continue his work in his spirit.” www.ingo-maurer.com