Reza Aliabadi

Pinocchio

This past summer, I was very humbled to be offered a seat, as a second timer, among ten international designers to participate in a design workshop at Vignelli Center for Design Studies in partnership with Corning Museum of Glass. The assignment was to ideate, design, and prototype a lamp shade. Typically, a lampshade intends to embrace a source of light. But what is light? Isn’t it that it often stands for knowledge & wisdom, the very journey from darkness towards awareness? Metaphorically, this reminds me of Jonah in the belly of a whale. But in Vignelli’s land, and with a Castiglioni switch, an Italian adaptation is more appropriate. That’s right, it is Pinocchio :—–

The prototype wittily suggests a thinking head! When it is on, it gives us a cue to activate our mind. Beside its utilitarian / decorative purpose, together, the head, the nose, and the neck, set the stage, where you can rest your hat and eyeglasses, or tie your scarf and bowtie.

May Pinocchio reminds us to keep the light on in our head. _ RZLBD (Geppetto)