Treviso (TV), Italy
The “Vincent” spotlight has been designed by Gherardi Architetti for the exhibition “Van Gogh. Between the wheat and the sky” in the monumental Hall of the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza (Italy) and it was subsequently commercialized with specific characteristics for the museums, to enhance the colors of the paintings, drawings or sculptures.
Placing in a unique historical context, the , the exhibition project called “Van Gogh. Between the wheat and the sky” sought a definition that was as harmonious as possible, given the constraints linked to the air conditioning imposed by the exhibition material.
The rectangular plan of the Basilica, designed by Andrea Palladio in the sixteenth century, was divided lengthwise with a sign that manages the exhibition path in an orderly and rational way and, at the same time, that houses the machinery for the climatic safety of the rooms.
The walls orthogonal to the central spine, forming large rooms without a roof, make it possible to never lose the relationship with the volume of the Basilica, at the same time creating a necessary intimacy for the exhibited works.
The succession of open rooms ends in the only closed space of the exhibition. The room is designed for the projection of a film, specially created for the exhibition.
The silk gray color is monochromatic for all the display walls and primary beams, a tone that is well suited to the type of works and the reaction of the lighting fixtures on the vertical surfaces.
Light plays a fundamental role in this exhibition, in which the visitor is immersed in a dark, almost theatrical atmosphere.
Only the paintings emerge from the shadows, which are illuminated by perfectly centered cones of light. The artwork acquires an unexpected power. This is the result of research on lighting.
The spotlights have a die-cast aluminum body and are based on LED technology, perfect for paintings, because it does not heat up and does not contain infrared or ultraviolet rays which damage the pigments.
Project Title: Vincent in the Basilica
Designers: Edoardo Gherardi, AnnaChiara Marcon, and Massimiliano Toniolo
Manufacturer: Bibetech Spa
Photographer: Massimiliano Toniolo and Marco Gennaro
