Ingo Maurer, designer and 'poet of light,' dies at 87

Ingo Maurer, the German designer known for his poetic and ironic lighting creations, has died. Born in 1932 on the island of Reichenau, Lake Constance, Maurer studied graphic design in Munich before working in New York and San Francisco. He later returned to Bavaria to found his own company, first called 'Design M.' and later 'Ingo Maurer GmbH.' Over a career spanning more than fifty years, he produced over 200 designs, many of which are held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Vitra Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. His iconic works include 'Porca miseria!' (1994), a light sculpture inspired by the explosion scene in Michelangelo Antonioni's film 'Zabriskie Point,' acquired by MoMA; 'Campari Light' (2002) with Raffaele Celentano, featuring ten Campari Soda bottles; 'Oh Man, it's a Ray!' (2009), a mobile chandelier referencing Man Ray; 'Zettel’z,' a customizable lamp with Japanese paper sheets; 'MaMo Nouchies,' paper sculptures photographed by Tom Vack in the style of Constantin Brancusi's studio; and 'Flatterby' (2018), a giant bulb surrounded by handmade butterflies. Maurer also created public installations, notably lighting the Torre Velasca in Milan during the 2016 and 2017 Fuorisalone. In 2011, he received the Compasso d'Oro for his career. A retrospective exhibition titled 'Ingo Maurer Intimate. Design or what?' is scheduled to open November 15 at Die Neue Sammlung museum in Munich.