BOCCI
The Canadian company that allows nature and craft techniques to dictate the forms of its original lights
Bocci’s sculptural chandeliers, which are made by amassing myriad hand-blown glass pendant lights, make a dramatic impact. Each piece is masterminded by creative director Omer Arbel, who is inspired by the way that materials behave under different volatile conditions – from varying temperatures to gravity. ‘ We see ourselves as inventors of techniques, not of forms,’ says Arbel. One example of this idiosyncratic approach is Bocci’s ‘73’, which is made by plunging blown liquid glass into a scrunched-up, heat-resistant fabric. When removed, the hollow glass assumes the fabric’s crumpled texture, and an LED bulb is slotted into it. Arranged in clusters of milky white pendants, they resemble clouds. In fact, many Bocci pieces take the form of gargantuan installations.
Bocci’s experiments are conducted at its headquarters in Vancouver, by a creative team at its research laboratory and by glass-blowing experts at its glassworks. The company was founded in 2005 by Randall Bishop, a reclusive entrepreneur, and Arbel, who is an architect. The name is taken from the games of bocci (an Italian variation of boules) that the duo played while discussing their company’s future.
Vancouver might seem remote, but Bocci is now internationally renowned, and its arresting light installation ‘44’ currently hangs in the foyer at London’s Barbican Centre. Its visceral, rock-like aluminium components transmit electricity to the spherical, pearl-like light sources linking them, obviating the need for electric cables. The spectacular piece epitomises Bocci’s breathtaking originality ( bocci.ca).
‘WE SEE OURSELVES AS INVENTORS OF TECHNIQUES, NOT FORMS,’ SAYS CREATIVE DIRECTOR OMER ARBEL