Skip to Content
Closed now, next open Thursday. Closed now, next open Thursday.

"Wo Bist Du, Edison...?" Ceiling Lamp

A work made of hologram, acrylic glass, and aluminum.

Image actions

  • A work made of hologram, acrylic glass, and aluminum.

Date:

1997

Artist:

Ingo Maurer
German, 1932–2019

About this artwork

Since the mid-1960s, Ingo Maurer has created lamps and lighting systems that reflect his fascination with the light bulb as the “perfect union of technology and poetry.” Wo Bist Du, Edison … ? (Where are You, Edison … ?) pays tribute to the original inventor of the light bulb. When the lamp is switched on, a vibrant hologram of a traditional incandescent bulb illuminates the acrylic lampshade. In addition, the light socket above the shade, which holds the actual light source for the hologram, is shaped like a profile of Thomas Edison. Maurer’s design playfully combines the basic elements of a standard lamp—bulb, shade, and socket, while offering an allegory of the intangible quality of light itself.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Ingo Maurer

Title

"Wo Bist Du, Edison...?" Ceiling Lamp

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1997

Medium

Hologram, acrylic glass, and aluminum

Dimensions

25 × 52 × 46 cm (10 × 20 1/2 × 18 in.), 300 cm (118 in.) of cable)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by the Architecture & Design Society

Reference Number

2007.113

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share