JOSEPHINE ON SHOW AT BLENHEIM PALACE
An exhibition of works by Italian artist, Michelangelo Pistoletto, featuring Bright Goods ‘The Josephine’ LED filament lamps is on show at Blenheim Palace. Displayed in the China Ante Room inside the palace, the exhibit named ‘quadro di elettrici’ (painting of electric wires) features aesthetic, long linear wires hanging from a wall with Josephine LED filament light bulbs. The impressive exhibit measures 3 meters x 2 meters, creating a stunning centre piece with a perfectly, even glow at floor level.
Pistoletto is best known as a pioneer of Arte Povera, a term coined in 1967, referring to a loosely connected group of Italian artists who use found objects within their artworks.
‘Pistoletto experiments with intangibility, using reflections and, in this case, light as his materials. Like the viewer’s reflection in a mirror, the painterly glow cast on the ground by the bulbs is ephemeral, fleeting, immaterial. Pistoletto calls the work painting – the historical pinnacle of fine art objects – yet uses industrial wiring and bulbs, poking fun at the artistic canon by using light and wires as his paint and brush’ – Blenheim Art Foundation exhibition booklet.
Blenheim Palace is a Grade I listed building which has original wooden floors within the China Ante Room. We were approached by Blenheim Palace’s Exhibitions Manager, who was looking for energy-efficient lights which replicated carbon filament lights to use for this exhibit. Traditional filament lights were not an option due to the associated high temperature issues. Josephine’s temperature readings were tested and monitored over the course of two weeks and after the successful testing period, Josephine was approved to be used within Blenheim Palace.
Josephine was chosen from our Bright Goods range of LED filament lights due to its attractive and unique ‘crown’ shaped LED filament. The Josephine is the perfect LED solution for Blenheim Palace and we are delighted that our lighting was chosen for Pistoletto’s exhibit. Not only do our Bright Goods LED filament lights offer incredible energy savings, they are significantly cooler to run and last ten times longer than traditional filament lighting, whilst still creating that familiar, warm glow.
About Blenheim Palace
Built in the early 18th Century and gifted to John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace is a stunning stately home in the beautiful countryside of Oxfordshire. Designed by English Architect Sir John Vanburgh, the Palace was built to celebrate victory over the French in the war of the Spanish succession. Today, the Palace is home to Charles James Spencer-Churchill, the 12th Duke of Marlborough. The Palace, park and gardens are open to the public – book your visit to Blenheim Palace here.
The Michelangelo Pistoletto exhibition runs until 31st December 2016 from 10.30am until 5.30pm.