For Salone del mobile 2025, the dial has turned to another year of Euroluce – the International Lighting Forum that showcases not only the technological advances in lighting, but also how it can be an aesthetic and emotional force in our homes. It is wonderfully fitting then, that this year the Salone del Mobile is presenting a unique, one-off experiential artwork, ‘Mother’, by American performer, painter and sculptor Robert Wilson.
Having worked with greats like William S Burroughs, Lou Reed and Marina Abramović, Wilson has a preoccupation with the possibilities of light. For ‘Mother’, he mixes the mediums of light and sound – the work is set to a soundtrack inspired by the Stabat Mater, a medieval prayer in the vocal and instrumental version by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, performed by the ensemble Vox Clamantis – to create a piece that’s a tribute to arguably Michaelangelo’s greatest work, The Last Supper.
‘Light is what creates space. Without light, there is no space. Albert Einstein said that light was the measure of all things. I usually start with light,’ says Wilson of the piece, the performance of which will last 30 minutes (booking is essential) at the Rondanini Pieta Museum in Milan’s Castello Sforzesco.
What's everyone reading?
‘I intend to create my own vision of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, which remained unfinished at the time of his death, divided between a feeling of reverential awe and one of admiring wonder,’ says Wilson. ‘However, a feeling of serenity, of being at peace with oneself even faced with the tragedy of death, will prevail. Religion doesn’t come into it, in my case. It’s a universal image, a spiritual experience that moves something deeper within ourselves that needs no explanation.’
Open during the length of Milan design week (from 6 April), the installation will also be extended until 18 May to bridge the gap between design week and the Milan art week. Plus, for those who want to learn more about the ideas behind the work, and Wilson’s creative process in general, the artist will be among the special guests at Euroluce’s schedule of masterclasses and workshops to be held at The Forest of Space Arena in Salone del mobile’s Rho Fiera home.
