LEUCOS take part in the Brussels Design September show. For an entire month the Belgian capital hosts a series of events including conferences, exhibitions and Arts&Crafts tours, all dedicated to the world of design.
There are three opportunities to meet Leucos: at an exhibition at Tenbosch House, where the Leucos history is relived through its products; a Peinture Fraîche exhibition where as well as being able to admire the company’s iconic pieces there is also the option to buy.
The third and very interesting appointment is the conference with Renato Toso and Noti Massari, two historic Leucos lamp designers and authoritative figures in the interior design sector, which is an enjoyable chance to hear the two talking about design through their works and collaboration with companies in the sector.
Conference with Toso & Massari: Tuesday 26th at 8:15pm
Flagey, Place Sainte Croix – 1050 Brussels
The famous bookstore Peinture Fraîche hosts the exhibition and sale of Leucos lamps for Brussels Design September. The unique location, welcoming and poetic, has studied an ad hoc staging for the September show which showcases the Italian company’s products in a way that further enhances the surroundings they light up.
Floor, pendant and table lamps; in precious glass, natural wood and metal – Leucos products are perfect in any situation and for any occasion. Amongst the pieces chosen to adorn the bookstore are the two versions of Aella, Trigona and JJ which have now become widely-recognized design icons for the brand due to their discreet and elegant qualities.
Peinture Fraîche, 10 rue du Tabellion – 1050 Brussels
Opening times: from Wednesday to Saturday, 10:40am to 7pm
Vernissage: Wednesday 27th from 6pm to 8pm
The exhibition at Tenbosch House takes us on a brief journey through the world of Leucos, a historical voyage that starts with the products of 1962 to finish with those of 1983.
The company, which was founded in Venice in 1962, boasts collaborations with great designers and architects such as Noti Massari, Roberto Pamio, Renato and Giusto Toso, who later teamed up with Kazuhide Takahama, who for twenty years designed and created real glass sculptures.
The turning point came in 1968, when the brand relocated to the Venice hinterland and introduced new products to the market which gained significant commercial success.
Leucos proved to be an innovative and avantgarde company for the times. It used traditional Murano glass techniques but broke away radically from the rules of Neo-Renaissance esthetics that had characterized the sector from the beginning of the 19th century.
Leucos lamps are distinctive for their clean lines, transparency and simple shapes. They take inspiration from the figures of Greek mythology, elements of nature and places far away from Venice, yet always maintain a certain poetic irony as the running theme to all collections.
The light itself, which remains the primary function, melts completely into the pliable and unique style that distinguishes the lamps.
The pieces on display at Tenbosch House belong to the New Domestic Landscape – an exhibition from 1972 which took place at MoMA and brought together works from the great masters of design as well as the up-and-coming talents of the time. On this occasion, however, they have a special configuration where the polyvinyl chloride and plexiglass have been replaced with opaline or crystal glass.
The soul of these pieces intertwines with the setting and culture of Venice, with an inclination for transparent and reflective water effects.
Tenbosch House, 94 rue Tenbosch – 1050 Brussels
Opening times: 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 and Wednesday 27th September from 11am to 6pm
Finissage: Thursday 28th from 6pm onwards