Sense Light Swing

Light Swing grew from one of the most universally recognisable images of childhood: the hanging swing.

By turning the seat into a source of light, Lervik transformed a piece of playground equipment into a suspended artwork.

Originally developed in connection with Five Playful Chairs, Light Swing occupies the territory between lighting, furniture and installation.

What followed went far beyond the original exhibition. Over the years, Light Swing has received extensive international attention, appearing at world exhibitions, major light festivals and even in Louis Vuitton fashion shows.

Its power lies partly in how quickly it can be understood. Everyone recognises the swing. Yet once it is removed from the playground and allowed to glow in space, the meaning changes completely.

A memory of movement becomes light, scenography and architecture.

Sense Light Swing is a designer lamp by the Swedish designer Alexander Lervik, dated 2005. The work is produced by SAAS Intruments, which manufactures and distributes it, while the design originates in Lervik’s studio. In the portfolio it is listed under innovation, lighting.

Alexander Lervik is a Swedish designer whose work spans furniture, lighting, product design and collectible design. His practice combines function, storytelling, technology and conceptual experimentation, moving between industrial production, limited-edition objects and design art. He trained at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm and runs his studio in Österlen in the south of Sweden.

The project belongs to a body of work that is represented in museum collections including Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Nasjonalmuseet in Oslo and the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, and that has been covered by international design and news media. Related works can be found through the furniture, lighting and collectible design pages and in the complete portfolio.