In this issue:

“Beauty is nothing but the unveiling of a fallen darkness and the light that has come out of it”. These are the words of the famous poet Alda Merini, an artist of great sensitivity whom I love very much and whom I have chosen to start my first editorial as editor-in-chief, because it is precisely beauty that is the pivotal element that emerges from the magazine that Silvano Oldani directed for more than 12 years, making it so significant and precious. A great legacy that I had the honour and the privilege of picking up and that I will try to carry on with the same passion, dedication, and professionalism as he did, letting me be guided, as my beacon, precisely by the beauty of light that always comes out when it is well designed and well-made, whether it is a lamp, a building, a street or a work of art. This is the beauty that I want to convey through the magazine, with the awareness that we communicators too have a great responsibility and must do our part in order to create and disseminate a culture of light that can serve everyone to live and work better. A culture of light that is all-encompassing, broad and that knows how to discover the new scenarios and new trends appearing in our sector, and that definitely knows how to involve young people making them feel central characters in a world that is changing…

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After four years, Euroluce is back again as the heart of the transformation of the Milan Furniture Fair that will take place from 18 to 23 April. We met the President Maria Porro, an entrepreneur entrepreneur of great culture and sensitivity who explains to us how this new edition of the event will be very different from the previous ones and will represent a major investment and a reflection on the future of the trade fair model and the world of lighting. The revolution starts right from Euroluce, now in its 31st appointment, which will see a complete rethinking of the layout of the Biennial of Light, created with the studio Lombardini 22 to ensure a better connection between the four pavilions, simplify the visit itinerary and increase the visibility of exhibitors. It is a Fair where the visitor will enter a world that is made up not only of the best products and solutions proposed by companies but also of moments of cultural insight and food for thought.

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The author interviewed the great designer Paolo Rizzatto, an architect, and 265, his first lamp created in 1973 for Arteluce which later became Flos, shines iconic in the landscape of light. He tells us how the 265 was born and the beginning of his extraordinary career. For Rizzatto, the legacy to pass on to young people is the same one he received from his teacher Ernesto Nathan Rogers, which is contained in these words of his, “We must study the past to bring it to us. It is very useful, it is indispensable to make this effort to enrich our consciousness…acquiring a sense of history will give meaning to our works. We could better understand the reasons why we have to be different, why we have to be, each one of us, ourselves…  Knowing the past is like knowing our fathers, it helps us better understand why we are the way we are, and why, being children, we are different: we are similar in being different…”

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At the end of January, on a sunny morning, one of the most eagerly awaited events in the programme of Brescia and Bergamo, Capitals of Culture 2023, took place: the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Museo del Risorgimento Leonessa d’Italia, which brought back to light, after years of inaccessibility to the public, the austere spaces of the Piccolo Miglio, in the enthralling setting created by the Limiteazero studio, inside the Brescia Castle, a true jewel of urban fortified architecture that dominates the entire city. The author met architect Paolo Rigamonti, who, together with Alessandro Capozzo, founded Limiteazero Studio that was responsible for the set-up project and architect Ji Hye Choi, managing director of Noroo Milan Design Studio, consultant of the Light and Colour project.  The architects wanted to create an environment that was explicitly contemporary but evoked suggestions of the period, as well as offering, at all times, stimuli that play on a continuous movement between history and contemporary, through material and colour choices.

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The author met Jan Van Lierde, a Belgian designer, entrepreneur and architect who is one of the leading international creative forces in the field of lighting. For Van Lierde, light supports the building or landscape in a subtle way. Good design requires no special lighting effects. Everything flows logically into each other and, in this way, there is room to create a timeless work that deserves its place in our space. His thoughts can be summed up in these words: “Understanding the functional aspect of the project is essential…. I prefer to keep the design and “presence” of my projects very modest and hidden. I prefer to provide functional light rather than form…”

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Energy communities constitute a new way of understanding energy management. European and national directives have paved the way towards shared forms of energy production and consumption, always, however, considering the true purpose of energy communities, namely to favour local and renewable energy production, care for the environment and the social context in which the communities exist. The author also addresses the role of lighting within RECs that, on the one hand, propose integrated home automation and energy efficiency interventions and, on the other, favour the development of photovoltaics. In fact, by 2022, all 26 energy communities built in our country included photovoltaic installations with an average power of 40 kW per project.

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The energy crisis has focused attention on public lighting, and in a number of cases, decisions have been made to reduce consumption by totally or partially switching off the lights. The question is very complex, because it also involves aspects that affect the safety and quality of life of citizens. Today, however, new technologies and smart services make it possible to achieve energy and economic savings, without necessarily leaving cities totally in the dark. In this context, therefore, it is desirable to have the participation and cooperation of all stakeholders involved, from Utilities, to local administrators, designers and manufacturers. The authors asked them a few questions to understand what their role is and how they intend to address, including through the use of new technologies, the issue of lighting quality and energy savings.

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Today, more than ever, we live in a hyper-connected world where technological development is fundamental and plays a central role in people’s daily lives. And such development, which is getting faster and faster, leads to the need to continually adapt and update. In recent times, in particular, we have often encountered a new term, “Metaverse,” which becomes not only a digital space, but a real representation of society, with authentic social and economic interactions between people and very interesting perspectives that we will all have to deal with. But will the virtual world ever be able to completely replace real life, especially in terms of contacts between people and socializing, without necessarily reaching the science fiction scenarios described in the Matrix saga?

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The first article in this new LUCE column is dedicated to the new website “Luce sui Giovani” (Light on the Young People), which will be set up by AIDI to help young professionals better understand the challenges of new technologies, and is intended as an opportunity to reflect on the role of the lighting designer today. The author met three young lighting designers, namely the two lighting designers Elisabetta Campanelli and Andrea Carson and the product designer Miriam Emiliano, who tell how they began their professional adventure in the world of lighting. Young aspiring lighting designers, stay tuned to LUCE and AIDI: news from 4.0 is coming!

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In LUCE 343 | 2023 you will find many other articles, special reports, interviews, and insights. We are always on the lookout for new suggestions and ideas to understand, explain and raise awareness of the world of Italian and international lighting. Keep reading and writing to us.

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