"Mayday" Lamp

Konstantin GrcicWW-1998-050021

1998·Polypropylene·55.3 × 19.1 × 19.1 cm (21 3/4 × 7 1/2 × 7 1/2 in.)

<p>Konstantin Grcic’s Mayday Lamp exemplifies the industrial designer’s aspirations to rethink conventional products for the home. This portable lamp is probably his best-known work to date and was realized with the Italian design company Flos. A practical rendition of an industrial lamp made for domestic use, Mayday Lamp was born out of Grcic’s dissatisfaction with contemporary lighting solutions. His love of Formula 1 racing, specifically the no-frills lamps employed by auto mechanics, served as a source of inspiration. Portable, funnel-shaped, and equipped with a hook that enables them to be secured under the hood of a car, these safety lamps provided the basis for Mayday. The large hook crowning the top of the lamp is functional, but it also acts as a decorative element in the uncluttered design.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1998
Medium: Polypropylene
Dimensions: 55.3 × 19.1 × 19.1 cm (21 3/4 × 7 1/2 × 7 1/2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Konstantin Grcic

Artist

Konstantin Grcic

Konstantin Grcic is a German industrial designer working primarily in furniture, lighting, and tableware since the 1990s. His practice is characterized by a rigorous exploration of form and material constraint, where minimal aesthetic intervention meets functional precision. His work has been produced by leading manufacturers including Flos, Magis, and Kartell, and is held in the permanent collections of major design museums including MoMA and the Vitra Design Museum. Grcic's approach treats industrial production not as a limitation but as a fundamental generator of form.

Munich, Germany

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