Lighting is a particularly exciting topic for collectors—it’s not just about designing a functional piece of furniture, but also about the effects that light creates in a room! The facets of lighting design are infinitely variable and everything has its raison d’être: spotlights for illuminating workplaces, table lamps that create selective accents, or light sources that play a key role in artistic concepts.
The Dr. Bernhard Serr Collection brings together a selection of around 60 influential international design objects from the 20th century, including rare lamps and objects from everyday culture. This private collection has been built up over decades. Since its inception in the late 1970s, it has been characterized by an interdisciplinary interest in technology, music, and art. Trips to museums and architecturally significant locations in Europe and the USA led to the continuous expansion of this exciting collection and inspired the collector to engage in an in-depth examination of various design trends of the 20th century.
trends of the 20th century.
The collection focuses on designs from the 1960s to the 1990s. It includes key examples of post-war modernism, radical design, postmodernism, and the Memphis movement. Iconic designs such as the “Toio” floor lamp by Achille and Pier Castiglioni, Superstudio’s sculptural ‘Gherpe’ lamp, the experimental ‘Paramount’ and ‘MGM’ lamps produced by Alchimia, and the rare ‘Sfera’ lamp by Patrizia Innocenti and Sergio Gobbi illustrate Bernhard Serr’s interest in technical innovation combined with extraordinary aesthetics and pop culture. The well-known and classic lamps by Ettore Sottsass occupy a special place in this context.
UFO, Table light ‘MGM’ from the ‘Bau. haus collection’, 1969/70 (design)
Many of the lamps in the collection reflect the designers’ desire to break with the conventional norms of design history. The collection includes lamps in which the exploration of technical and functional aspects dominates: one design that focuses on the essentials is the ‘255’ clamp lamp by Tito Agnoli, designed in 1954. The cylindrical socket for the light bulb is attached to a simple, narrow metal tube through which the cable is fed. The swiveling structure and height-adjustable socket ensure that the light source can be adjusted to the user’s needs in just a few simple steps.
Alessandro Mendini
Light object ‘Atomaria’, 1984 (design)
Table light ‘Laurel’, 1985
Ettore Sottsass
Table-/ wall light ‘Pattica’ from the series ‘Mobili Lunghi’, 1999 (design)
Tito Agnoli
clamp lamp ‘255’, 1954 (design)
Patrizia Innocenti; Sergio Gobbi
table light ‘Sfera’, 1971 (design)
Boundless creativity in terms of shapes and colors characterizes most of the fantastic pieces in the Serr collection: Superstudio’s ‘Gherpe’ is a prime example. In a fan-shaped form, the lamp unfolds its shell-like nature, emitting a soft light from within. Many designers saw it as a challenge to transform light sources made of the new material plastic into organic floral shapes—in 1968, Studio Tetrach created the “Frine” table lamp, which opens like a bud.
The pure enthusiasm for the dazzling dream factories of Hollywood is illustrated by the two table lamps from the UFO group, ‘Paramount’ and ‘MGM’, which are rarely seen on the art market. Since 1914, Paramount’s logo, featuring a mountain surrounded by stars, has symbolized the greatness and enduring nature of the American film industry. The lamp humorously paraphrases this iconic concept: a red umbrella spans the mountain of gold-painted faience, creating an ironic contrast to the original grandeur of this cinema symbol.
UFO; Lapo Binazzi
table light ‘Paramount’ from the ‘Bau. haus collection’, 1970 (design)
The lighting collection is complemented by exciting objects from everyday and home culture. Some of these objects were in daily use, bringing the collection and living space into direct contact with each other. The Serr Collection documents key designs in international design in the 20th century and thus an extraordinary and knowledgeable collecting activity.
With the presentation of the Serr Collection at the auction on March 24, we invite you to discover this important testimony.
