The Shapes of Light: Project didactics with coloured neon sources

Abstract

This article presents the results of the Light Culture and Design course at the Faculty of Design of the Politecnico di Milano, dedicated to the design of a technical object for aesthetic experimentation. The aim of the course is to develop a knowledge of the complex relationships of interaction between light and matter/colour, present in nature and in culture, which determine the lighting conditions that allow humans to perceive the visible world and its material practicability, in order to achieve a critical awareness and understanding of the founding role that light has historically played (and will increasingly play in the contemporary hyper-technological context) in the design determination of environmental and industrial artefacts. The experiences illustrated in the paper show that the development of objects of aesthetic experimentation are a step towards the training of designers who can act in a planned and conscious manner (quoting Hans Sedlmayr), bringing out the full potential of this material that is rich in meaning, but at the same time structured and complex.