Videos of lighting designers presenting their domestic and international lighting design projects in a documentary style were distributed in advance at the Pre-Event in October, 2021. Based on the content of the four videos distributed at the Pre-Event, IALD members in Italy, India, and Taiwan were invited as panelists, with lighting designer Miki Matsushita as a moderator, to discuss the main theme of Enlighten Asia 2021, “Lighting for New Normal”

The first panelist was Marco Palandella, a lighting designer from Italy who also teaches at the University of Lugano, Switzerland. Mr. Palandella stated that his emphasis in urban projects is to put people at the center of everything and praised the fact that this was accomplished wonderfully in the projects presented in the video.

The second panelist was Ya-Hui Cheng, a young design director working in Taiwan and Australia. Ms. Cheng stated that she was impressed by the way the history, atmosphere, preferences and characteristics of the locals were reflected in the design of the landscape lighting, especially in the Nagasaki and Kanazawa projects, and appreciated the deep involvement of the locals in the design process. On the other hand, she noted that young designers have only few opportunities to participate in large-scale projects, and that they need to put harder effort and develop their own design philosophy to win the trust of potential clients.

The final panelist was Linus Lopez, a lighting designer from New Delhi, India. Mr. Lopez mentioned the importance of understanding the citizens’ point of view and creating comfortable spaces for them and an accurate understanding of the city’s culture and history, while keeping in mind the identity of tourists and the city itself. He also noted that the young lighting designers featured in the video have succeeded in bringing government and industry into the design dialogue and was also impressed by their integration of light into ambiance, communication, and comfort, rather than light for light’s sake.

During the open discussion, the moderator Miki Matsushita posed questions that led to a discussion about the new normal for lighting after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms. Cheng mentioned Mr. Mende’s “light fasting” concept, stating that the pursuit of a balance between light and shadow has become one of the new normal. She noted that the challenge to build a healthy lighting environment will advance, and Mr. Palandella stated that respecting the night is important to achieve energy savings, and that only lighting designers could make space comfortable. Reflecting on history, Mr. Lopez also said that the focal point of design is gradually returning from productivism to focusing in on human beings, and that we would shift from a number-oriented energy system to a design that is more emotional and more appropriate for happiness and peace.

Ms. Cheng concluded by expressing her views on the support system for women in the male-dominated lighting industry, hoping that after the pandemic, the advancement of women would be even more accelerated.