A wall light with a 3.5-metre cantilever and a Herzog & de Meuron-designed graphic tube light are among Dezeen editor-at-large Amy Frearson's highlights from lighting fair Euroluce in Milan.
The Salone del Mobile biannual lighting showcase usually takes place every two years, but as a result of the disruption caused by Covid-19, this is the first since 2019.
Designs on show reflect the trends that have been shaping residential, workplace and hospitality interiors since the pandemic, from the rise of working from home to the demand for biophyllic design.
Many brands have unveiled lights with an aesthetic driven by function and flexibility, rather than decoration, while others are pushing the boundaries of manufacturing craft.
Read on to see 10 of the most innovative designs on show:
Black Flag by Konstantin Grcic for Flos
Italian brand Flos always makes a big impression at Euroluce and this year is no different. One of the key launches for 2023, by German designer Konstantin Grcic, is a wall light that can be unfolded from the wall to project out by up to 3.5 metres.
To achieve this impressive cantilever, the design features highly sophisticated engineering, yet its joints appear minimal and elegant.
Bilboquet by Philippe Malouin for Flos
Also from Flos, this characterful table light is the brand's first collaboration with London-based designer Philippe Malouin.
It is formed of two coloured cylinders that are connected by a magnetic sphere, allowing the light to be rotated into different positions or removed from the base completely.
Liuu by Vantot for Luceplan
Tension cables and counterweights are key to this system developed by Vontot, the studio led by Dutch designers Esther Jongsma and Sam van Gurp, with Italian brand Luceplan.
The design offers a surprising degree of flexibility – LED modules can slide along the electrified cables to direct light where it's needed, while the conical diffuser offers a soft glow without any glare.
Cone by Tom Dixon
The latest launches from British designer Tom Dixon's eponymous brand are all designed to combine with existing products, to offer greater flexibility and multi-functionality.
The highlight is the Cone pedestals, named after their striking shape. These can be mixed and matched with 28 lamps from the existing collection, creating new possibilities for some of the brand's classic designs.
Fregio by Andrea Anastasio for Foscarini
This LED pendant lamp incorporates a striking floral bas-relief. Produced by Italian brand Foscarini in collaboration with Italian designer Andrea Anastasio, the project demostrates the ceramic craft expertise of the 95-year-old Gatti workshop in Faenza.
The brand is showing Fregio at both Euroluce and its Milan showroom, which has been transformed into a wild garden filled with grasses and herbs.
Peaks by Michael Anastassiades
Cone-shaped pendant lights have long been popular, but this latest product from Cypriot designer Michael Anastassiades' London-based brand finds a new configuration for the classic shape.
Minimal white cones are hung either upwards or downwards, in single, double or triple arrangements. Diffused light is emitted from the base of each cone, creating a gradient effect on the surface of its neighbour.
Dreispitz by Herzog & de Meuron for Artemide
The ubiqitous tube light is given a graphic twist in this project by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, for Italian manufacturer Artemide.
Light tubes are organised around a triangular module to give the design a geometric profile.
The design is intended for the workplace and hospitality interiors.
Signature by Ingo Maurer
Since the death of German lighting pioneer Ingo Maurer in 2019, his eponymous brand – now owned by Foscarini – has continued producing designs with the same inventive spirit.
A key launch is Signature, an adaptable pendant light that appears as a tangle of cables. The LED fitting sits within an anodised aluminium shade that appears to be unfurling from a cone to a rectangle.
Baggy by Paola Navone for Contardi
Italian designer Paola Navone wanted to create the effect of crumpled paper with this range of table, floor and ceiling lamps for Italian brand Contardi.
Available in both horizontal and vertical versions, the design combines tranluscent satin-finish polycarbonate with a soft textile cord for a contemporary feel.
Symbioosa by LLEV for Lasvit
Czech studio LLEV has developed a ground-breaking technique for producing glass in moulds made from mycelium, which results in a surpising organic texture.
Glass lighting producer Lasvit has teamed up with the studio to use the technique in production of a mushroom-shaped table lamp.