Lee Broom’s ‘SALONE DEL AUTOMOBILE’
Salone del Mobile 2016
One year on from his resoundingly successful Milan exhibition, The Department Store (named one of the 15 best shows during Milan Design Week 2015), Broom has created a totally different compact and unique mobile installation. The interior - all in Lee Broom signature grey - with its ornate columns and architrave is an unexpected backdrop for the graphic new monochrome lighting collection. Highlighted by an illuminated floor, the result is a show-stopping moment.
The van pitched up at Spazio Rossana Orlandi before moving on San Gregorio Docet and Design Week institution Bar Basso where Lee Broom hosted a block party. For the first time Bar Basso was not just a late night hot-spot but a design installation destination. The van will continue its journey throughout the week at the city’s other key design hotspots including Brera Design District, MUBA and ZonaTortona, before ending the week at Ventura Lambrate.
Lee Broom says: I wanted to make the same impact as last year but without creating a huge installation. While deciding where I should exhibit I thought - what about everywhere? Making my Salone del Mobile mobile is an exciting way to exhibit. My designs are often surreal and the idea behind the installation is to see something unexpected — a captivating optical illusion.
The Optical collection’s floor and pendant lights reflect Broom’s recent move towards more understated, modern designs. The Op Art-inspired graphic patterns on the illuminated globes echo the asymmetry of some of Broom’s previous designs, such as his Crescent light. When viewed from all sides, Optical’s linear pattern changes at every angle.
Optical also holds strong personal associations for Broom: “It’s really inspired by the period in which I grew up in. I guess my first real foray into interiors was decorating my own bedroom in the early 90’s and Optical really reflects the monochrome graphics and mood of that era."
