Reality, the floating hen’s egg by Ingo Maurer
It’s real – really. The new Reality lamp from Ingo Maurer
Munich, February 2024 | Munich-based luminaire manufacturer Ingo Maurer celebrated its Milan comeback this year with a spectacular staging and presented numerous new designs at Euroluce 2023. At the centre of it all was a floating chicken egg that glows from within. At first glance inconspicuous, nameless, and yet associated with a magical attraction. Today, the new luminaire from the renowned lighting manufacturer has a name and has also been available in stores since February 2024: Reality.rs
The design by Theo Möller, who has already realised several outstanding luminaires and installations with the Ingo Maurer team, embodies an extraordinary synthesis of art, nature, and light. Much more than just a light source, Reality is a harmonious work of art that blurs the boundaries between functionality, form, and creative expression. It succeeds in taking the unrivalled beauty of nature to a new level. The centrepiece of the luminaire is a real, certified organic hen’s egg – delicate, fragile, and yet astonishingly effective. The LED, suspended with copper cables, provides soft lighting with just nine lumens. Yet in this restraint lies its true beauty.
“The Reality luminaire tells the story of light in a new way.
It is a story of vulnerability, hope and the meaning of the supposedly
inconspicuous.”
– Axel Schmid, Head of Product and Project Design –
The inspiration for the lamp was the painting “Pala Montefeltro” by
Piero della Francesca, in which a hanging egg can be seen above the depiction of the Virgin Mary. This egg is often interpreted as a symbol of the Immaculate Conception and carries a deeper meaning in Christian art. The Reality luminaire captures the essence of this image and translates it three-dimensionally into the world of design and lighting.
“Pala Montefeltro” not only served as inspiration for the shape of the lamp, but also for its deeper meaning. Like the egg above Maria in Piero della Francesca’s masterpiece, the Reality hovers as a delicate reminder of times gone by, while at the same time casting a glance into the future. This element of connection between art and design lends the luminaire a timeless quality and emphasises its significance as a work of art that brings the essence of beauty and depth from past eras into the present.
Scope of delivery
The Ingo Maurer Lamp Reality is supplied with three small pins that allow the light to be hung elegantly from the ceiling. The tangled copper cables connect the light to a USB port. The generous cable length of around 5 metres allows the lamp to be positioned in a variety of ways, blending seamlessly into different room concepts.
Product launch: February 2024
Design: Theo Möller
Manufacturer: Ingo Maurer
About Ingo Maurer:
Ingo Maurer GmbH has been developing and producing extraordinary designer lights in Munich for more than 50 years. The company has also made its mark internationally with the realisation of design commissions in both the private and public sectors. The best-known designs for series production include the Ingo Maurer Bulb (1966), the YaYaHo low-voltage system (1984) and the Lucellino wing lamp (1992). The lighting and interior design of the Radisson Collection Hotel in Tsinandali, Georgia (2018), the installation for the Issey Miyake fashion show in Paris (1999), the lighting of the Belval blast furnaces in Esch (2013/2022), the lighting concept for seven light rail stations in Karlsruhe (2022) and the UNICEF Crystal Snowflake in New York City (2004-today) are just a few highlights on the long list of commissioned work and spectacular individual pieces for private clients and public buildings.