2004 - 2010 Meetings organized by the Osservatorio sull'Architettura

The Osservatorio sull'Architettura is a series of meetings aimed at investigating and analysing the intricacies of contemporary architecture.

Since light is what places man in relation to space, it is easy to see how the Targetti Foundation came to occupy itself with architecture.

The occasion, a meeting with a group of architects and critics who, with their research and design work advocated a precise idea: that architecture is first and foremost a thought, a complex intellectual process to be built around man.

This is how the Osservatorio sull'Architettura was born, and the inspiration for the meetings organised to investigate and analyse the complex phenomenon associated to the world of contemporary architecture and its interaction with the arts, sciences, techniques, philosophy, sociology, economics and politics.

Since 2004, the Osservatorio sull'Architettura has invited a variety of different people such as Norman Foster, Yona Friedman, Thom Mayne, Peter Eisenman, Bernard Tschumi, Vito Acconci, Greg Lynn and Alvaro Siza. And, also Dennis Frenchman, Cecil Balmond, Sergio Fajardo, Diller and Scofidio.

Despite the evident differences between these people, they are all united by the fact of being absolute protagonists of their time, but also "cultivators of ideas", intepreters of a discipline that reflects society and its continuous transformations.

Foto D'Arte Firenze @ Osservatorio sull'Architettura

Foto D'Arte Firenze has been asked to document all the meetings since 2004 that have taken place with the most famous architects in the world, guests and speakers at the conferences organised in Florence, often with the splended frame of the Salone dei Cinquecento, the largest and most important as far as regards the historic-artistic profile of the Palazzo Vecchio. 

Cristian Ceccanti photographer | Foto D'Arte Firenze Media Partner 2004-2010 @ OSSERVATORIO SULL'ARCHITETTURA - Targetti Foundation

 THE INVISIBLE RED LINE

The transcriptions of the projects of some of the great names that have given life to the Observatory's activities and the accompanying critical contributions are brought together in the book "L'invisibile linea rossa" (The Invisible Red Line) by Quodlibet. 

The publication, edited by the director of the Observatory, Pino Brugellis, brings together the reflections of individuals from backgrounds and languages that are often very different to each other, but nevertheless similar, since they all work with demonstrated humility despite their outstanding careers and many accolades. They have the humility to interrogate themselves on the sense of their work and on doing architecture today.

WHO IS TARGETTI?

Founded in 1928 with its headquarters in Florence, Targetti operates in the field of interior and exterior architectural lighting offering products and ad ho solutions, developed in response to specific functional and aesthetic challenges.

Past and present

Targetti was born in 1928 in the heart of Florence as a small shop selling lamps and related products. Today Targetti continues to effortlessy combine functionality and design in its production and marketing off over 2,000 lighting system and products. 

Technically-advances lighting solutions and detailed research meet pure forms and clean lines, synonymous with contemporary design, and suitable for installation within any architectural setting.

Targetti Poulsen Industries is the Holding company which heads a Group credited to third place among the European players of indoor & outdoor architectural lighting. Targetti is the leader of this Group, a unique reality on the international scene, having Louis Poulsen and Neri as the other two strategic brands of reference.

TARGETTI FOUNDATION

Established and sponsored by Targetti to promote, support and develop the culture of light, art and architecture, the Targetti Foundation is a unique point of meeting, integration, comparison and cultural exchange for lighting professionals and enthusiasts alike.

The Foundation's activities are based on three separate initiatives: training, consisting of a program of courses and workshops organized by the Lighting Academy; architecture and design, involving a cycle of meetings and conferences held at the "Osservatorio sull'Architettura" (Architectural Observatory); and art, involving the Targetti Light Art Collection, the ralative award and theory of on-site exhibitions organised in major museums worldwide.