Artemide

Heritage

Artemide was founded in Milan in 1960 by Ernesto Gismondi and Sergio Mazza; its first lamp, Alfa, had been designed by Mazza in 1959. In 1972 the company opened its first manufacturing facility in Pregnana Milanese, still its headquarters, and in 1980 it opened its first subsidiary in the United States. In 1991 it acquired the Venetian glassworks VeArt, and in 2014 the historic brand Danese Milano joined the group.

Philosophy

Since 1996 Artemide's vision has been expressed in The Human Light manifesto: light at the service of people and their needs. The company combines design with technological research, filing patents on mechanical and opto-electronic solutions, partnering with universities and leading architects, and pioneering LED lighting from 2000 and TunableWhite technology from 2006.

Iconic Works

• Eclisse by Vico Magistretti (Compasso d'Oro 1967)
• Tizio by Richard Sapper (1972), the first halogen lamp
• Tolomeo by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina (1987, Compasso d'Oro 1989)
• Pipe by Herzog & de Meuron (Compasso d'Oro 2004) and the IN-EI collection by Issey Miyake (Compasso d'Oro 2014)

Today

Led by President and CEO Carlotta de Bevilacqua, the Artemide Group has manufacturing units in Italy and Hungary, 18 subsidiaries, 14 branded showrooms and distribution in 107 countries. It received the Compasso d'Oro for lifetime achievement in 1995, and its lamps are held by museums including MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.