By Simon Mundine, Founder of Banno Lighting
When someone walks into your gallery, they instantly form an impression about the space, the art, and the professionalism behind everything you do. What shapes that impression more than anything is your gallery lighting.
Great art can look muted, flat, or lifeless under the wrong lighting. Average art can look extraordinary under the right lighting. This is not a small difference. It influences buyer confidence, artist trust, sales performance, and the reputation of your gallery.
Lighting is not just a technical layer. It is the emotional foundation of how your exhibitions feel. When lighting is wrong everything appears a little off, even if visitors cannot explain why. When lighting is right artwork feels alive, colours pop, and people stay longer.
At Banno Lighting we design clean, modern, flexible art gallery lighting systems for new galleries, established spaces, and full renovations. If you are planning, building, or revamping a gallery, we guide you through the entire lighting process to ensure you get a world class result from the start.
Why Gallery Lighting Must Be Done Correctly
Poor Lighting Can Hurt Sales And Reputation
This is the part many first time gallery owners do not realise. Poor lighting does not just make the artwork look wrong. It actively damages your credibility.
Visitors expect a professional experience. If your lighting causes glare, uneven shadows, hot spots, or colour distortion, people feel less emotionally connected to the artwork. They feel less comfortable buying. They feel less trust in the space.
Artists notice immediately. If their work looks worse in your gallery than it does online or in their studio, they hesitate to exhibit again.
Your lighting tells people whether you take art seriously.
On the other hand, correct lighting elevates everything. Texture becomes richer. Colours become accurate. The space feels curated and intentional. Your brand feels premium. Buyers relax. Artists respect your presentation. Sales increase because the work looks powerful.
Lighting is not cosmetic. It is a strategic advantage.
The l’art Gallery Lighting System
Track Lighting Designed For Real Galleries
Every professional gallery and museum in the world uses track lighting because it offers what no other lighting system can. Total flexibility.
You can change exhibitions, move walls, hang new shows, and reconfigure your layout without calling an electrician. The track stays. The fittings move. Your space remains fluid, professional, and easy to manage.
Our solution is the l’art track lighting system, engineered for clean design, consistent colour accuracy, precision light control, and complete adjustability.
The system includes three core fittings. Together they handle everything a gallery needs.
l’art Zoom
Precision control for all artwork sizes
The l’art Zoom is the most adaptable fitting in the entire system. You can tighten or widen the beam easily, which makes it perfect for small pieces, feature highlights, mixed mediums, sculpture, and photography.
The Zoom allows precise shaping so you avoid spill and avoid haloing around the artwork.
Key benefits
• Adjustable beam range
• Clean light shaping with no halo effects
• High CRI LED source for true colour
• Ideal for detailed and small to medium works
• Full tilt and rotation on the track lighting system
If you want the most control, Zoom is your hero fitting.
l’art Multi
Smooth, even illumination for medium and large works
The l’art Multi provides broad, even coverage across the artwork without harsh hot spots. It creates a natural soft wash effect that suits most galleries with open walls and larger pieces.
Key benefits
• Wide, even beam distribution
• No harsh edges
• Perfect for medium and large artworks
• Natural falloff that enhances texture
• Fully adjustable on the track
If your gallery displays larger canvases or series walls, the Multi is essential.
l’art Deluxe
High output for feature pieces and high ceilings
The l’art Deluxe delivers strong, clean illumination designed for tall ceilings, long throw distances, and feature walls. It gives maximum brightness without glare or colour distortion.
Key benefits
• High lumen output
• Perfect for architectural rooms
• Ideal for feature works and tall walls
• Maintains high CRI colour accuracy
• Minimal design that blends into the track
If your space has height or power requirements, the Deluxe is your anchor fitting.
The Three Principles Of Professional Gallery Lighting
Every world class gallery follows three non negotiable principles. These principles protect artwork quality and create a premium viewing experience.
No Halo Effects
Haloing happens when the beam is not shaped correctly. You see a glowing ring around the artwork or uneven bright spots. This distracts the viewer and makes the presentation look amateur.
The l’art system avoids haloing through precision optics, correct positioning, and controlled beam spreads.
Reducing Glare
Glare kills emotional engagement because it forces the viewer to move around searching for a good angle. This interrupts the connection with the artwork.
Our fittings use anti glare optics and proper beam control to eliminate harsh reflections and create calm, soft, unobtrusive light.
CRI And Colour Accuracy
High CRI LED lighting ensures the artwork appears exactly as the artist intended. Low CRI lighting makes pieces look washed out, muted, or slightly off tone.
Every fitting in the l’art system uses high CRI LED sources for rich, accurate colour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best lighting system for an art gallery
A professional track lighting system with high CRI LED fittings is the global standard because it provides the flexibility and precision galleries require.
Why is CRI important in gallery lighting
CRI determines how accurately colours appear. High CRI lighting preserves the artwork’s true tone and texture.
What is the difference between the l’art Zoom, l’art Multi, and l’art Deluxe
The l’art Zoom offers precise beam control, the l’art Multi provides broad even coverage, and the l’art Deluxe delivers high output for tall ceilings and feature walls.
How high should gallery track lighting be installed
Most galleries install track between two point seven and three point five metres depending on ceiling height and throw distance.
What angle should lights hit the artwork
A thirty degree angle usually provides the best balance between even illumination and reduced glare.
Can poor lighting affect art sales
Yes. Poor lighting reduces the perceived value of artwork and weakens emotional engagement which can directly impact sales.
Can I rehang exhibitions without changing the lighting
Yes. Track lighting allows you to reposition fittings at any time without rewiring.
What colour temperature works best for galleries
Most galleries use three thousand Kelvin for warmth and accuracy, although some prefer thirty five hundred Kelvin for a more neutral tone.
Is track lighting easy to install
Yes. It mounts directly to the ceiling with a single power feed and provides long term flexibility.
Is the l’art system suitable for all mediums
Yes. The adjustable beam angles and high CRI outputs make it ideal for painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media.
How does Banno Lighting help me plan my gallery
We provide full lighting plans, technical advice, photometric mapping, and product selection tailored to your space and artworks.
How We Help You Plan Your Gallery
Lighting a gallery is not guesswork. It requires photometrics, beam angle selection, ceiling placement, and a full layout strategy.
When you work with Banno Lighting you receive
• A full gallery lighting design plan
• Photometrics
• Track layout guidance
• Beam angle recommendations
• Colour temperature strategy
• Technical support
• Product selection tailored to your architecture and art
We remove the complexity completely.
The Mistakes Galleries Make When They Attempt Lighting Alone
• Using decorative lights that cause glare
• Installing track too close or too far from walls
• Using low quality LEDs that distort colour
• Not shaping beams correctly
• Lighting artworks from poor angles
• Using under powered or over powered fittings
• Not planning for future exhibitions
Every one of these mistakes is avoidable with proper guidance.
Why Galleries Choose Banno Lighting
Because we understand art. We understand the psychology of how people see art. And we understand how to use light to elevate an entire space.
Lighting is your brand. It shapes how people feel inside your gallery. It influences whether they buy. It influences whether artists choose to show with you. When lighting is done well your gallery feels premium, curated, and professional.
This is why galleries trust us.
Ready To Plan Your Gallery Lighting
If you are opening, renovating, or planning a gallery, we can help you design a world class art gallery lighting system from the ground up.
Book a consultation with our lighting team and let us help you create a gallery that feels intentional, elegant, and professionally lit.
Book your gallery consultation
Speak with the design team
Plan your gallery lighting with Banno
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