Some people find their shape and the quality of their light unpleasant, and some question their environmental advantage, but low-energy lightbulbs are a necessary innovation. Their presence in our lives, explain the Plumen's designer, "should be seen as an advantage to be celebrated by drawing, sculpting, or scrawling in the air with light. The bulbs should not be viewed as an afterthought but instead as a centerpiece. Then people might begin to buy these bulbs through genuine desire rather than mere moral obligation." Production of the Plumen began in 2011, and the bulbs are sold in Europe and the United States.

Gallery label from

Born out of Necessity, March 2, 2012–January 28, 2013.

Manufacturer Hulger
Medium Glass, ABS plastic, wires, and electronic fittings
Dimensions 11 3/4 x 8 5/8 x 4 1/3" (30 x 22 x 11 cm)
Credit Gift of the manufacturer
Object number 456.2008
Department Architecture & Design

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