The trouble with suspension lighting—as with many things one might locate in one’s house—is that it tends to be static. What this means practically is that one may tire of the light more quickly than anticipated. The second problem with a suspension light’s immobility is that it misses a great opportunity for kinetic appeal. A chandelier, in my view, is a perfect object for showcasing movement—dangling, spinning, shifting and so on.

Titania. Designed by Paolo Rizzatto and Alberto Meda for Luceplan.

Why shouldn’t a suspension lamp double as a mobile? The clever Italian lighting company Luceplan, which recently outlawed incandescent lights and traditional halogen lights in an effort to reduce electricity consumption, does offer a suspension light that moves. Designed by Paolo Rizzatto and Alberto Meda, Titania is an elliptical structure composed of blades that “reflects a central light source” while acting as “a non-dazzle screen and heat dissipater.” One will never tire of Titania—due mostly to the light’s five pairs of interchangeable polycarbonate filters that determine the fixture’s color. With a simple gesture of the hand or hands, one can add, delete, or switch Titania’s filters, thereby changing the overall appearance of the suspension light while never limiting its emission of white light.

And Titania’s shifting quality does not end there. The light looks different depending on one’s angle of viewing. From the front, it appears transparent; from the side, it appears a solid body. For more dramatic changes, one must simply make contact with Titania however one chooses: “A touch of the fingers is enough to send it into a variety of suspended positions.” Titania also hides another smart detail: a spherical counterweight can be inserted or removed in order to adjust the light up or down. That’s certainly enough to entertain anyone from season to season—one could change filters, change colors, change positions. Titania takes advantage of the suspension part of the suspension light. With a very light aluminum body, the fixture can hang from nearly anywhere.

All of Titania’s changeability might indicate some hidden, underlying dullness. Not so! The very shape of Titania—sans filters and without its wondrous capabilities—is enticing. The aerodynamic ellipse hangs in the air like the wing of some enchanting, futuristic bird. It also resembles the smoke stacks of old luxury ships and the waxy pods of Japanese peas. However it hangs and whatever its color, Titania should please even the most fickle.