ROME, March 5 — Design fans have two anniversaries to celebrate in 2017, with the centenary of the birth of designer and architect Ettore Sottsass, founder of the Memphis movement, and the 40th anniversary of the Italian designer's "Valiglia” lamp.

Furniture and interior design specialist Roche Bobois is reissuing the iconic lamp for the occasion.

The "Valiglia” table lamp first saw the light of day in 1977. Although the lamp may not seem so revolutionary today, it was heralded as a symbol of groundbreaking modernity when first released.

Easy to move from room to room, "Valiglia” broke with the tradition for heavy furniture designed to stay in one room of the house. In fact, the name "Valiglia,” meaning suitcase in Italian, nods to this inherent mobility, along with the handle on top of the lamp.

Best-known in its red and black version, "Valiglia” is set to return in a new black and white colour combination.

Ettore Sottsass was a key instigator of the Memphis movement. Founded in the early 1980s, The Memphis Group sought to challenge the strict design codes of the day with a post-modernist style using colorful decoration and asymmetrical shapes.

Taking its name from a Bob Dylan song and one of the oldest and most important cities in ancient Egypt, the movement sought to evoke the splendor of ancient civilisations while also drawing inspiration from Pop Art elements of US culture.

The movement's creations are characterised by kitsch and colorful designs, with joyful and fun pieces often laced with humor. Memphis designs were frequently multicolored, made use of new materials and were often produced in limited editions.

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