Countless exhibitions take place in Italy every year, involving millions of visitors eager to admire works of art illuminated by natural or artificial light. Artificial light has the fundamental task of making enjoy abletheexhibitedartworks. But within the environments, it does many other functions and is also used to brighten up them spaces, to highlight the paths, to allow the reading of captions and graphics. But lighting well art exhibitions requires an articulated and specific technical knowledge that matures in years of experience and that can not be learned with the simple reading of common lighting textbooks. Learning to illuminate works of art is therefore the result of one long and personal experience and the particulars and suggestions that come indicated in the brief text can help those who are approaching this profession to avoid many mistakes that often prevent a correct and pleasant view of the artworks and yet of the exhibition spaces.

Francesco Murano
is a professor at the Design School and member of the “Light and Color” laboratory of the Milan Polytechnic. Architect, obtained a master at the Domus Academy and a PhD in Industrial Design with a degree thesis entitled “The shapes of light”. He carried out academic, scientific, research programs and design activity for important Italian and foreign industries as well as Cultural entities and Institutes, focusing on lighting design and illuminating many of the most important art exhibitions in Italy and abroad.