“Artists are not constrained by engineering processes”

Yves Peitzner approaches automotive lighting from a perspective that is still unusual for the industry: art, interaction design and spatial experience. As an independent artist and creative director of YVES, he explores how data, human interaction and environmental conditions can be translated into responsive light, sound, moving-image and media installations. This makes his view relevant for an industry in which lighting is increasingly expected to guide, calm, inform and emotionally support occupants.

At the Automotive Lighting Conference 2026, Peitzner contributed to two panels: in “Future of Lighting in the Automotive Industry – Regional Differences, Challenges, Trends”, he joined Michael Bantel of HELLA, Stephan Berlitz of Audi, Christophe Pincemin of Yanfeng, Naomi Saka of Bentley Motors and Peter Gresch of OptE GP Consulting.

Why automotive lighting is becoming intelligent architecture

Automotive lighting has long since moved far beyond illumination. At ALC 2026, industry experts showed how user experience, smart surfaces, digital ecosystems and E/E architectures are reshaping the field – and what it takes to make next-level concepts work in practice.

Benjamin Müller

In the second panel, “How do other lighting trends influence the Automotive Lighting Industry, particularly in Interior Designs?”, he discussed the influence of external lighting trends on automotive interiors with Dr Dominique Heilborn of TactoTek, Anna Bernaldez Müller of Nichia Europe and Mathias Rönnfeldt of SP3.

We spoke with him on the occasion of the event about what automotive lighting can learn from art, AI and spatial installations.

Looking ahead three to five years, how will data-responsive and AI-driven light experiences change what a vehicle interior can feel like?

I believe AI-driven and data-responsive lighting will fundamentally transform how a vehicle interior is experienced. As vehicles increasingly integrate environmental and biometric sensing, lighting can respond in real time to both the surrounding context and the emotional state of the occupants. Rather than serving as a decorative feature, light can become an adaptive medium that helps create a calmer, safer and more emotionally supportive driving experience.

Which lesson from immersive art and spatial installations is most relevant for automotive teams designing adaptive lighting experiences?

In immersive art, we always design for emotion rather than technology. That mindset is highly relevant for automotive design. Interior lighting should not simply be visually impressive; it should intentionally shape how people feel. Light and color have a profound influence on our emotional state, and thoughtful lighting design can make the driving experience more intuitive, comfortable and human.

Where do current automotive lighting systems still feel too predefined or decorative compared with interactive environments that respond to people, data and context?

Many modern vehicles already contain an enormous amount of digital information – from displays, dashboards and sensors. Adding decorative lighting on top of that can easily contribute to visual overload. Today’s lighting systems often remain largely predefined instead of responding meaningfully to people or context. Vehicles already collect valuable environmental and vehicle data, and in the future this information could be translated into subtle, responsive lighting experiences that feel intentional rather than ornamental.

How can light translate emotion, movement, environmental conditions or user behavior in a way that feels intuitive, meaningful and calm inside a vehicle?

Modern vehicles already collect a wealth of information that could be translated into subtle lighting experiences. Environmental conditions, driving context and, where appropriate, biometric data can all contribute to creating an interior that responds naturally to its occupants. The challenge is not to visualize every piece of information, but to distill complex data into simple, meaningful light interactions that create clarity, comfort and emotional resonance.

“ISELED is no longer an experimental concept”

As vehicle interiors become increasingly software-defined, digital lighting must scale beyond design features. Robert Isele, GM and CEO of Inova Semiconductors, explains how ISELED, ILaS and open ecosystems can support this shift.

Benjamin Müller

What is the creative boundary between personalization and overstimulation when light becomes a dynamic medium in a confined mobility space?

The key challenge is restraint. Dynamic lighting should never become another source of distraction. Instead, it should adapt quietly to the driver’s preferences, mood, time of day and surrounding conditions, creating an environment that feels supportive rather than demanding attention. The technology to achieve this already exists; the real challenge lies in implementing it in a way that is subtle, purposeful and production-ready.

What should engineers, designers and product teams learn from artists when turning light into a responsive, multisensory and emotionally resonant medium?

Artists often begin with a different question: not “What can this technology do?”, but “How should this experience make people feel?” That perspective can be incredibly valuable for product teams. Because artists are not constrained by engineering processes or production requirements, they often imagine possibilities that others overlook. Bringing those perspectives into the design process can help create lighting experiences that are not only technically sophisticated but also emotionally meaningful. Ultimately, technology alone rarely creates memorable experiences. People remember how a space made them feel.