Martine Bedin, “Light” lamp in metal and plastic, 1980’s

Martine Bedin, attributed to.

“Light” lamp in metal and plastic with a small half-spherical lampshade, movable thanks to the small joystick with a black round end. Shaft composed by a simple stick, movable thanks to a green plastic wheel system, rolling along a cylindrical dark green metal stick, forming a quarter circle. It stands on a grey metal cylinder, openworked on sides.

Mégalit edition, dated from 1985.

Functional electrical system.

Dimensions : H 65 x W 20 x P 20 cm.

Reference : LS4198501

Martine Bedin (1957) is a French architect and designer. She studied in Paris and then in Florence where she met Adolfo Natalini in 1978 and began to work in its design studio : Superstudio. Closed to the Italian radical movement, she joined the Memphis Group at its beginning in 1981 and created items and lightings with original colors and shapes. The movement ended in 1989 and deeply marked the design history.
Then she taught in many universities and continued to create, first for industry and then unique pieces of design. In 1993, she received the Medal of Letters and Arts.

Source :

Made in Italy, Les grands noms du Design, Vercelli, éd White Star, 2011, p. 118-119-120

The Memphis collective was created in Milan the 11th of December 1980 thanks to the Italian architect Ettore Sottsaas. Gathering eight designers and architects, the team began to create an innovative design for furniture pieces, who would become iconic in the 1980’s. Mixing geometrical and kitsch forms with plastic reproducing noble materials, the group rewrote the codes and would obtain a world-wide recognition from it’s showroom opening in Milan, the 19th of September 1981. To the 55 original objects added up, each year until 1987, a collection edited by Artemide. Whereas the founder left the group in 1985, Memphis made a final exhibition in 1988. The Memphis experience would be continued by other groups, like Meta Memphis from 1989 to 1991 or Post Design, founded in 1997. The company still exists and continues to edit the objects from this period.