Pillola Suite of Lamps

Dated 1968, this suite of lamps was designed by Cesare Casati and Emanuele Pozio and manufactured by Nai Ponteur. It was made of molded methacrylate, plastic and acrylic. It is representative of Italy’s anti-design movement of the mid-1960s and 1970s, and is also related to the pop culture.

When I first came across the “Energizing the Everyday” Exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt Museum, this suite of lamps immediately intrigued me. The lamps were bent in different angles and were casting rhythmic shadows of varying levels of darkness. According to the caption in the museum, these angles demonstrated the haphazard look of pills accidentally dropped. The designers showed their sense of humor there by associating the angles with some typical connotations of drugs: perilous, rebellious and fun. The lamps have the oblong shape of prescription pills while they are much bigger than life-size and have different colors. The bold, simple and bright colors made me think of the Emerald Pill by Claes Oldenburg and most works of Andy Worhol. The lamps are apparently in conversation of pop culture and consumerism. The surface and the base are made of thin transparent ABS plastic and acrylic, demonstrating a smooth, reflective quality. The surface also creates beautiful light outlines for the shadows.  Through the bright color palette and the materials, it seems that the designers are critiquing the mass culture which is mass produced by mass consumption by mass media. The lamps also remind me strongly of Moschino’s capsule collection. Because they both use prescription pills as the main theme and achieve rebellious and playful visual effects.

This suite is definitely something I would like to have in my home, but I am still curious about its context. Was it designed for home use or just for display? I believed that this unique and controversial suite would communicate very contrasting values in different contexts.

10 Questions

What is Italy’s anti-design movement? How did it affect the history of design?

Why is this suite representative of Italy’s anti-design movement?

What are the pros and cons of plastic in product design?

From the mid-1960s to 1970s, what are the connotations of prescription pills? Are they positive or negative?

Is there any difference about the connotations of pills between Italy and the United States?

Where did Casati and Pozio get the inspiration of this design? Are they inspired by any other artist?

Why were these colors, shapes and materials particularly chosen?

How does it related to consumerism and drug abuse?

What is the context of this suite in the designers’ perspective? Is it for home use, bar use or just for exhibition?

As the lights can move in varying angles, how do different angles convey different meanings or humor?