Kitchen unit having a task lighting system for illuminating an operative area, the task lighting system comprising: - at least a plurality of fixed lighting elements configured to generate, on the operative area, corresponding fixed elementary light spots and macro light spots by the union of the elementary light spots; and - a control unit configured to receive a spot position signal indicative of a desired position of a macro light spot and to selectively activate, based on the spot position signal, the lighting elements to generate a macro light spot with said desired position; wherein each lighting element comprises at least an electric light source and an optical element; wherein the electric light source comprises one or more LEDs, and the optical element comprises one or more lens or mirrors; wherein the a plurality of lighting elements are arranged according to a matrix; wherein the control unit is configured to carry out the following operations upon reception of corresponding user's commands: - generate a macro light spot for illuminating a portion of the operative area having a desired size and position by activating the lighting elements, which provide the elementary light spots covering the regions of the operative area corresponding to said portion of the operative area; - increase the size of an already generated macro light spot by activating new lighting elements to provide new elementary light spots around the already activated elementary light spots of the respective lighting elements; - decrease the size of an already generated macro light spot by deactivating lighting elements providing the elementary light spots forming the macro light spot; and - modify the position of an already generated macro light spot to illuminate a new, different portion of the operative area by activating the lighting elements, which provide the elementary light spots covering the regions of the operative area corresponding to said new portion of the operative area, at the same time deactivating the lighting elements, which provided the elementary light spots covering regions of the operative area corresponding to the previously illuminated portion of the operative area, which should not be illuminated any longer. - at least a plurality of fixed lighting elements configured to generate, on the operative area, corresponding fixed elementary light spots and macro light spots by the union of the elementary light spots; and - a control unit configured to receive a spot position signal indicative of a desired position of a macro light spot and to selectively activate, based on the spot position signal, the lighting elements to generate a macro light spot with said desired position; - generate a macro light spot for illuminating a portion of the operative area having a desired size and position by activating the lighting elements, which provide the elementary light spots covering the regions of the operative area corresponding to said portion of the operative area; - increase the size of an already generated macro light spot by activating new lighting elements to provide new elementary light spots around the already activated elementary light spots of the respective lighting elements; - decrease the size of an already generated macro light spot by deactivating lighting elements providing the elementary light spots forming the macro light spot; and - modify the position of an already generated macro light spot to illuminate a new, different portion of the operative area by activating the lighting elements, which provide the elementary light spots covering the regions of the operative area corresponding to said new portion of the operative area, at the same time deactivating the lighting elements, which provided the elementary light spots covering regions of the operative area corresponding to the previously illuminated portion of the operative area, which should not be illuminated any longer.