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Object Timeline

1959

  • Work on this object began.

1979

  • Work on this object ended.

1991

  • We acquired this object.

2001

2008

2015

2024

  • You found it!

Boalum Lamp

This is a lamp. It was designed by Gianfranco Frattini and manufactured by Artemide S.p.A.. It is dated ca. 1969 and we acquired it in 1991. Its medium is pvc plastic, metal. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.

This lamp is a revolt against traditional forms of lighting. Made of malleable plastic, the Boalum can be bent into a variety of shapes and placed anywhere: on furniture, floors, or walls. As advances in technology brought new light bulbs and materials to the market, lighting designers could experiment with the structure of their objects, and the light they emitted, in this case diffused incandescent lighting. Two special features of the lamp are, first, the fact that you can change the shape at will and, second, you can connect up to four lamps together. Designer duo Frattini and Castiglioni sought to rebel against the trend toward Modernism, and developed an ingenious, playful, humorous product.

It is credited Museum purchase from Decorative Arts Association Acquisition Fund.

Its dimensions are

L x W (full length): 72 x 7 cm (28 3/8 x 2 3/4 in.)

Cite this object as

Boalum Lamp; Designed by Gianfranco Frattini (Italian, 1926–2004); Manufactured by Artemide S.p.A. (Italy); Italy; pvc plastic, metal; L x W (full length): 72 x 7 cm (28 3/8 x 2 3/4 in.); Museum purchase from Decorative Arts Association Acquisition Fund; 1991-47-8

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Rococo: The Continuing Curve 1730-2008.

The Conservation department has taken 2 photos of this object.

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If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18636569/ |title=Boalum Lamp |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=20 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>