Pirarucu by Andrea Bandoni from brazil
designer's own words:
The story begins in the biggest Forest of the World. The Pirarucu is an enormous fish, and one of the most well known in the Amazon rainforest, from which every part is eligible to be used after it dies: flesh, leather, tongue, scales. Its skin is a naturally flexible but solid armor even capable of resisting piranha bites.
The final object is an indoor lamp consisting of an up-to-scale drawing of the Amazonian fish, stenciled upon a wall topped by a frame containing the fishes scales. These scales are considered as residues of the fish, that would otherwise be used as souvenirs and are being revalued in this project: the lamp made with a LEDs uses the translucid qualities of the scales as well as the greatness and exotic look of the fish in order to explain its meaning in the original context. Directly on the wall, the grafitti may also refer to ancestral paintings representing the "dinossaur-fish".
The LED here is used in a very simple manner, in addition to a craft work. Clean and sustainable, the light source almost dissapears, serving only as a highlight to the fish scales, just making use of their transparency without damaging them. No other light solution could be used in this piece with a similar effect, and the LED assures the sustainable character of the piece.
The final object: a real size drawing of the fish (2,3m) and the real scales, enlightened with LED in a frame.
Detail of the fish scales with light.
A closer detail of the Pirarucu’s scales.
Images of the Amazonian Fish.
Images of the fish skin and scales.