Sixty years after its creation, the Serpente lamp continues to embody the visionary power and dynamism that immediately made it one of Martinelli Luce‘s most recognisable icons. This year, Elio Martinelli‘s famous creation has been revamped in orange, a vibrant and optimistic colour that celebrates its history and timeless spirit. An emblem of geometry, nature, functionality and technology, Serpente perfectly represents its creator’s design philosophy, which combines artistic intuition and technical research. Its history has its roots in the years when Elio, driven by curiosity and a spirit of innovation, transformed his father Plinio’s electrical shop into a laboratory of modern ideas, laying the foundations for a brand that was destined to become a leading player in Italian and international design.
In the 1960s, a period of fervent experimentation and radical change, Martinelli Luce created a series of designs that would leave their mark on the history of the sector: Cobra, Pipistrello, Bolla and, of course, Serpente. These were the years when “design” was born as a fusion of form and function, when colour became an expression of freedom and optimism, and when new materials – such as plastics – opened up new perspectives for furniture design. In this context, Serpente was born as a symbol of a different way of understanding light: a dynamic object, capable of adapting to the gestures and needs of those who use it, in a harmonious balance between aesthetics and practicality. The lamp stands out for its swivel arm and white diffuser that rotates 360 degrees, evoking the sinuous and harmonious movement of the reptile from which it takes its name. Its creation was a minor technical masterpiece for its time: the thermoforming of the diffuser with undercuts and the curvature of the arms required moulds designed and built in-house, a sign of the technological experimentation that has always distinguished Martinelli Luce.
Over the decades, Serpente has stood the test of time and fleeting trends, remaining faithful to its original form and essential language. Today, to celebrate its 60th anniversary, Martinelli Luce reinterprets it with a new chromatic energy: the metal arm is tinged with orange, a shade that has its roots in the brand’s history and recalls the lively and hopeful atmosphere of the 1960s. It is a colour that conveys positivity, creativity and movement — the same force that animated Elio Martinelli and still drives the company today. ‘Orange is a colour that evokes enthusiasm, movement and creative freedom, the same qualities that characterised my father Elio and still guide our work today,’ says Emiliana Martinelli, president of Martinelli Luce. ‘I remember this lamp in our home: it stood proudly on the piano when my son Marco started playing as a child. Serpente is part of our family and company history and fully represents us.’
Sixty years later, Serpente continues to embody the spirit of a design that never stops evolving, combining technology, poetry and that all-Italian vitality that transforms light into emotion.
Ph credits: Benvenuto Saba
