Sixty years after its debut, the Serpente lamp continues to express with surprising relevance the creative energy and bold design that have made it one of Martinelli Luce’s most emblematic icons. Today, Elio Martinelli‘s historic creation is presented in a new colour, orange, an intense and luminous shade that renews its image while celebrating its heritage and timeless character. A refined synthesis of geometry, natural inspiration, functionality and technological experimentation, Serpente exemplifies its creator’s design approach, combining artistic sensitivity with technical rigour. Its origins date back to the years when Elio Martinelli, driven by an innovative vision and tireless curiosity, transformed the family business into a veritable research centre, embarking on a journey that was destined to leave a profound mark on Italian and international design. The 1960s, a period of creative ferment and radical transformation, were fertile ground for projects that became symbols of an era, such as Cobra, Pipistrello, Bolla and Serpente, expressions of a new way of thinking about furniture as a balance between form, function and freedom of expression.
In that climate of optimism and openness, fuelled also by the introduction of innovative materials such as plastics, Serpente established itself as a lamp capable of interpreting movement and interaction, adapting naturally to everyday needs. Its adjustable arm and 360-degree rotating diffuser create a fluid and continuous gesture, recalling the sinuousness of the animal from which it takes its name. From a production point of view, the object represented a major technical challenge: the creation of the thermoformed diffuser with undercut and the curvature of the arms required design solutions developed in-house, testimony to a craftsmanship capable of dialoguing with industrial innovation. Remaining faithful to its formal identity over time, Serpente has traversed the decades without losing its expressive power, confirming itself as a classic immune to passing fads. On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, Martinelli Luce has chosen to enhance it with a meaningful colour accent: the orange of the metal arm recalls the brand’s historic palette and evokes the confident and experimental spirit of the 1960s, translating it into a contemporary language.
A choice that speaks of energy, imagination and creative drive, the same values that inspired Elio Martinelli and continue to guide the company’s work. As Emiliana Martinelli, president of Martinelli Luce, points out, orange is a colour that evokes enthusiasm and freedom, qualities deeply linked both to her father’s personality and to the family and design history of the company. Today, as then, Serpente remains the symbol of a design capable of combining technique and poetry, transforming light into a living and constantly evolving experience.
