A suspended sculpture where repurposed nets and light explore memory, void, and the creative potential of upcycled materials in design.
Cloudy Lamp suspends a fragment of sky within a grid of industrial net and resin—materials given a second life. Lit from within, its open structure captures light as a fleeting memory: solid yet weightless, functional yet poetic. A meditation on what endures when form dissolves, and on the value of reusing what already exists.
Jordi Iranzo works at the intersection of memory, void, and suspension. His practice oscillates between the oneiric and the real, using discarded sports and construction nets to create functional sculptures that live between the visible and the invisible—objects that barely hold, yet invite being held.
In the expanding universe of collectible design, few objects manage to balance poetic concept with physical presence as seamlessly as Iranzo’s Cloudy Lamp. This piece—crafted from epoxy resin and polypropylene netting—is a testament to the artist-designer’s ongoing investigation into memory, void, and the thresholds of perception. At its core, the Cloudy Lamp is a powerful example of upcycled materials in design, transforming discarded sports and construction nets into objects of contemplation and beauty.
At first glance, the lamp appears as a fragment of sky captured indoors. Its large, horizontal form (127x209x14cm) evokes the weightless drift of a cloud, yet it is constructed from the very opposite of ethereal matter: discarded sports and construction nets. This deliberate paradox is central to Iranzo’s practice. The net becomes a scaffold for absence—a grid that outlines volume without filling it, holding space for the invisible. The epoxy resin, applied in selective areas, adds subtle rigidity and translucency, anchoring the piece while allowing light to permeate and diffuse through its open structure.
Beyond its poetic resonance, the Cloudy Lamp embodies a profound commitment to sustainability. By repurposing nets that have already served another function—whether on a football pitch or a building site—Iranzo gives these materials a second life, diverting them from waste streams and reducing the demand for virgin resources. This act of reuse is not merely an aesthetic choice; it is a deliberate intervention against the disposable culture that pervades contemporary design. Each net carries the memory of its previous use—scuffs, tensions, wear—which becomes part of the piece’s narrative, adding layers of history and authenticity that no new material could replicate. This is upcycled materials in design at its most meaningful: where ecology and poetry become inseparable.
The true alchemy of the Cloudy Lamp, however, lies in its integration of lighting, wire, and net. Here, illumination is not merely a function but a material in its own right. The internal wiring and light source animate the polypropylene mesh, turning a utilitarian object into a luminous, almost sentient presence. The light does not simply shine through the net; it inhabits it, casting intricate shadows that dance across the walls and ceiling, transforming any room into an ever-changing canvas. This interplay between the solid grid and the fleeting glow echoes his debut project, Permanent souls, posing the question: What remains when something ceases to exist but persists in memory? The Cloudy Lamp offers a visual answer—a permanent, glowing ghost of a cloud, rescued from oblivion through the thoughtful application of upcycled materials in design.
Available in different colours, the piece invites customization while maintaining its core identity. It is functional, yet its purpose is ambiguous. It illuminates, but it also obscures; it defines a space, yet it suggests openness and permeability. This resistance to a single interpretation is what elevates the Cloudy Lamp beyond mere décor. It is a functional sculpture that invites the body to move around it, the gaze to wander through its interstices, and the mind to rest in its tranquil, suspended presence.
Ultimately, the Cloudy Lamp is a masterclass in material storytelling. It embodies Iranzo’s dual expertise as an independent artist and co-founder of the award-winning Clap Studio—bridging the oneiric and the real, the industrial and the poetic, the utilitarian and the sustainable. In a world saturated with objects that demand attention, this lamp softly commands contemplation, reminding us that the most profound designs are those that hold space for the invisible, the remembered, and the barely held—while respecting the planet that provides their raw matter.
Photos © Jordi Iranzo – andiranzo.com