Ettore Sottsass

ETTORE SOTTSASS (Innsbruck, Austria, 1917–Milan, 2007) for Artemide, Italy.
Callimaco floor lamp. 1982.
Lacquered metal.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use, as well as marks and chips in the finish.
Measurements: 202 cm (height); 40 cm (diameter).

The Callimaco is one of the iconic pieces of radical Italian design created by Ettore Sottsass. Its composition reduces the lamp to three essential geometric elements: a conical base, a slender vertical shaft, and an upper reflector that projects light toward the ceiling. The side handle introduces a functional and unexpected detail that accentuates its character as a sculptural object.

Designed in 1982, the piece belongs to the period when Sottsass’s postmodern language was at its peak. Its silhouette has been likened to a large wind instrument or “horn of light,” an association that reflects the designer’s desire to transcend strict functionalism and endow everyday objects with a symbolic, expressive, and playful dimension.

Ettore Sottsass was a key figure in radical design and the founder of the Memphis group. An architect, designer, and artist, his body of work spanned furniture, lighting, ceramics, glass, and technological objects. His work is represented in institutions such as MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which in 2017 dedicated the exhibition *Ettore Sottsass: Design Radical* to him.