Gallery of the Grand Salon from the Château de Draveil, 260, Second Floor & Modern and Contemporary Gallery 170, First Floor
Main Building
One of the most technologically advanced and innovative lighting designers of the last quarter century, Ingo Maurer has produced a body of work described variously by critics as “astounding,“ “dazzling“ and “poetic.“ Installations of this internationally acclaimed artist’s work will illuminate the museum’s eighteenth-century French salon as well as contemporary design gallery 170 this winter.
Maurer’s work ranges from feather-winged light bulbs and folded paper lights to architectural installations. He has exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, as well as in Rome, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Leningrad, and Barcelona. His lighting projects have included the Tel Aviv Opera House, the Munich subway system, and a commissioned piece for Toronto International Airport. His most influential and copied design is his 1984 low-voltage “Ya-Ya-Ho“ system, in which halogen lamps of different sizes, shapes and materials, selected by the owner, are hung on wires that stretch wall to wall.
Maurer’s installation in the museum is supported by Collab, a non-profit organization founded in 1970 that raises funds for the museum’s modern and contemporary design collection, which now includes over 1000 works. Each year, Collab presents its prestigious Design Excellence Award to a design professional who has made a significant contribution to the field; this year’s award was presented to Ingo Maurer on November 20, 2002.