Museum lighting is a special direction in lighting design, which requires high professionalism and clear knowledge of lighting standards. How to display exhibits in a favorable light and not harm works of art?
Let's talk about this with the director of the Moscow Design Museum. Alexandra Sankova.
What kind of light is used in the galleries and main premises of the museum? Is such lighting comfortable for exhibition visitors?
- In all rooms where exhibits are exhibited, we use luminaires with a high CRI90 color rendering index. The higher the color rendering index, the better the coloristic solution and natural colors of works of art are reproduced. The use of luminaires that do not meet the museum's lighting requirements is not acceptable. The human eye is able to distinguish millions of shades and does not overwork at all with high-quality lighting, which means that you can enjoy works of art for an infinitely long time.
Among so many offers from manufacturers, how did you approach the choice of light? Share your experience
- When choosing a light, we, first of all, focused on high-quality lighting performance and the warranty period of the equipment. It was also important for us that it was a Russian manufacturer with its own production base. That is why we decided to opt for the Russian manufacturer Arlight, which today is our main and main lighting partner. Arlight luminaires are of premium quality and are manufactured in our own factory in Brest. We installed track lights with rotary modules LGD ZEUS 2TR R88 20W Warm3000so that when necessary, you can change the accents of light and direct the flow of light to specific objects. The simple and laconic design of the luminaires fits perfectly into the overall concept of the space. In addition, we are preparing an exposition on domestic design and it was important for us that a Russian company should become a partner. I am always very proud when I wear clothes of Russian designers and when I have interior items from Russian designers in my house. I believe that the best design is the one that is not visible. And this is very important for the exhibition space, when exhibits should be the main characters. This is another reason why we chose Arlight luminaires.
Is it true that every 3 years museum exhibits need a rest from the light?
- Undoubtedly. Graphics, for example, cannot be exhibited for more than 6 months, because even the highest quality lighting can affect the appearance of exhibits. Therefore, the next exposition, which will be devoted to the history of Russian design, will be constantly updated. Twice a year we plan to do an overexposure with a new theme, because the main idea for us is always the idea of presenting domestic design. It is important to create safe lighting for paintings, some of which can lose the brightness of paints when exposed to infrared or ultraviolet radiation. A complete rejection of light, even for a short time, allows you to extend the life of exhibits and preserve the aesthetic appearance of works of art. Arlight luminaires fully comply with the requirements and standards of illumination in the museum: they do not create the effect of dazzling visitors, excessive contrast and glare on exhibits. When selecting lamps Zeus their capacity was limited and a safe distance was maintained to prevent damage to the exhibits. Our museum presents the best examples of domestic design, which is why we were so anxious about choosing the right lighting.
- Interesting exhibitions are regularly held in your museum: “Peace! Friendship! Design!”, Now“Plastic Fantastic”, which aroused great interest among the public. What do you think is the reason?
- "FANTASTIC PLASTIC" is a unique exhibition where more than 40 foreign and Russian designers present objects created from recycled and reused plastic.
Among the exhibits are completely different items - from jewelry, clothing and shoes to large-scale art installations that can change the attitude of society towards plastic and its reuse. We actively support the topic of environmental friendliness and invite everyone to our exhibition.
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A week before the New Year, we will announce the names of the winners on the official social media pages. Arlight networks.
See you at the Moscow Design Museum!
