This extraordinary object is composed of an algorithmically-derived mass of writhing nudes that recalls the classic motif of The Fall of the Damned. The lampshade appears as a hovering mass of ornaments, opulent and bombastic. When looked at from closer point of view it dissolves into single bodies, which are twisted in fear and seem to be frozen in falling. Their rhythmic order becomes slightly perplexing and finally renders the bodies an ornament. Softly, like the fleshy parts of the bodies, legs and stomachs relfect the light.

The Fall of the Damned is one of the works in which Merx reactivates historic imagery as a reference for his designs. The design of this lamp undermines several taboos imposed on design in the 20th century: it is figurative, ornamental, and narrative. This work was born of Merx's "Rococo Relevance", a historical and experimental research project through which he examines the parallels between tendencies in contemporary architectural design and those of the 18th century.

Fall of the Damned was featured in the recent exhibition, Telling Tales, at Victoria and Albert museum, London (July 14-October 18, 2009) and in the inaugural exhibition at the Design Museum on Holon, Israel.

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