AFIS LIGHT
Somalia, 1954
During the decade of the Italian Trusteeship Administration of Somalia (AFIS, 1950–1960), a group of Italian architects and engineers were called to Mogadishu to help rebuild a country and prepare it for independence.
Among them was architect Lorenzo Bartoli, who believed that modernity could – and should – respect the land, its materials, and its people.
In his spare time, he experimented with local materials and essential forms, seeking a dialogue between Italian design and African identity.
This lamp, a rare prototype from 1954, was born from that vision. The arm is crafted from a genuine antelope horn, found in the Somali countryside, shaped with respect and skill by local craftsmen. The structure is minimal: black lacquered brass, three lines in balance, like a sketch in space.
AFIS Light is more than a lamp. It is a symbol of a complex season in history – a time of rebuilding, encounter, and transformation.
#AFIS #ItalianDesign #Somalia1954 #DesignHistory #AntelopeHorn
AFIS LIGHT Somalia
