In Praise of Shadows by Various Designers

Staged as an intervention in the V&A Museum’s Jones Galleries of 17th to 19th century decorative arts during the 2009 London Design Festival, In Praise of Shadows: New European Lighting Design explored lighting design at a time when lighting faced dramatic changes. Supported by EUNIC, the exhibition sought to explain both the necessity of the shift to low energy lighting (20% of the world’s energy goes on lighting) and showcase imaginative possibilities of new technologies at a time when there was massive resistance to low-energy light bulbs. The exhibition sought to broaden debate by exploring not only how we use energy for lighting but also question how we illuminate our lives. The exhibition showcased work by designers such as Loop, pH and Studio Drift who imaginatively explored the potential of new lighting technologies and alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power. It considered issues ranging from energy consumption and light pollution to the psychological effects of light. Visitors were given dynamo-powered torches to navigate the darkened galleries. Supported by EUNIC.