Hoba di Foscarini” is a collection of lamps designed by Ludovica+Roberto Palomba, inspired by a meteorite that fell to Earth. The lamps, made of opaque rusticated blown glass, represent the perfect imperfection of a handcrafted object transformed into industrial production.
Foscarini, in collaboration with the designers Ludovica+Roberto Palomba, presented HOBA, a new collection of lamps inspired by the essence of nature and the beauty of "perfect imperfection". This series of lamps in opaque ashlar blown glass takes shape from a meteorite that fell to the Earth and represents the physical manifestation of anti-geometry. The name itself, Hoba, is a tribute to the heaviest meteorite to ever hit Earth, which landed on the Hoba West farm in Namibia.
HOBA was born from the idea of creating a standard lamp with the characteristics of a handcrafted product. Its asymmetrical and irregular shape recalls a stone deformed by speed and crystallized in the moment of flight. As Roberto Palomba states, "like objects made by human hands, Hoba has a non-univocal relationship with its shape and shows off that perfect imperfection that triggers magic, curiosity, the elective affinity with man".
Hoba lamp has a shape that seems almost devoid of a sphere of origin. The glass is crushed in various places, as if it had been pressed by a hand, leaving a series of fingerprints. This effect is the result of a careful calibration that creates an organic and dynamic anti-geometry. The blown glass manufacturing process to create Hoba was designed to shape the lamp while the glass is still hot. The pressure is exerted by the master glassmaker within a well-defined perimeter, but it is never identical, thus ensuring that each lamp is unique and unrepeatable.
HOBA represents the result of years of research conducted by the designers Ludovica+Roberto Palomba in collaboration with Foscarini in the field of blown glass. By bringing techniques traditionally performed by specialized glassmakers within a context of industrial production, Foscarini has managed to create decorative lamps with a strong personality. "The aim is to give those who choose these lamps that unique emotion that only the handcrafted piece can give, but also the accessibility guaranteed by mass production", says Ludovica Serafini.
The HOBA family offers a wide range of lamps, available in suspension, table, wall and ceiling versions, in midi, medium and large sizes. Each lamp in the collection retains the essence of the original Hoba meteorite, with its irregular shape and “perfect imperfection” beauty. Thanks to the combination of craftsmanship and serial production, Foscarini has made it possible to access unique design pieces that will bring a touch of magic and character to the home of anyone who chooses to adorn it with Foscarini's HOBA lamps.
