« It’s a feeling of completeness » Ignacio Valero
Interview of Ignacio Valero
What is light for you?
Ignacio Valero: Knowledge. Maybe because I’m a committed lighting design teacher, I don’t know. The point is that I cannot split the fact that:
- the light reveals us the world around with
- the metaphor of getting knowledge as enlightenment.
What is your first light emotion?
IV: Gratitude and joy. From my early years as a kid I experimented light as a blessing that makes me smile. Today is still the same.
What is your favourite feeling of light?
IV: I do appreciate the most when light and matter blends perfectly in one single experience with any perceived fixtures in the visual field. It’s a feeling of completeness.
What is for you the most complete light project?
IV: I got emotional the first time I visited the Capuchinas Chapel of Luis Barragán, in Mexico City. A truly masterpiece. Just daylighting and few candles.
In the future, what do you want light it to do and didn’t do it yet?
IV: I’d like to go deeper into design briefings much more sensations and emotionally driven. How the people feels is becoming prior to how the people see, just because the later is supposed to be achieved.
What personality of light is the most inspiring?
IV: Many! there is a lot of people everywhere doing stunning things. Maybe the most inspiring situation to me is when it happens to see common people – I mean, people with any special lighting training – who begins to handle the light just for pleasure. This is really wonderful!
What is your favourite light object?
IV: Ultimately, the smartphone. Everyone has now into their pocket :
- a personal torch,
- a camera
and soon :
- a reliable light meter
- a light control panel.
This thing is going to do more for the lighting awareness than any other tool.
Other than this I struggle a lot to show :
- the importance of the humble windows design in an space
- how relevant are materials and finishing
in the final lighting experience.
What is your ideal light source?
IV: No doubt: natural light. In all of their countless instances. It is an endless amazement. We just try hard to match a small portion of it.
Interview realized by Anne Bureau via email, March 3rd, 2015.
Ignacio Valero is member of the APDI, Asociación Profesional de Diseñadores de Iluminación, in Spain. He was vice-president.
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