“Les Créations” supports the “In memory of me” project by the visual artist, Stéphane Simon
The “Les Créations” division of Initial, subisidiary of Prodways Group — specially dedicated to the luxury, design, art and architecture sectors through exclusive, unique and tailored 3D printing designs — recently signed an industrial partnership with visual artist Stéphane Simon as part of the launch of his “In memory of me – towards a new gesture catalog” project.
Stéphane Simon has worked as a visual artist for over 20 years, focusing mainly on the representation of the human figure. The idea for his sculpture project was born in Barcelona in 2013, where the artist goes regularly to develop new research avenues. At the time, the 3D printing techniques available on the market were not advanced enough to obtain a perfectly reproduced gesture. In addition to targeting cutting-edge technology, Stéphane Simon has initiated numerous exchanges with anthropologists, sociologists, art historians, photographers, communications and language science experts, physicians and digital technology specialists in order to explore and ponder the multiple dimensions of the work. These are the true reflections of our current society, to which the artist is particularly attuned.
Two years later, 3D printing techniques have been perfected, and the meeting between the artist and the industrial group, Prodways, with its subsidiary, Initial, has enabled the project’s feasibility to be reconsidered. Thanks to the technologies available in Initial’s workshops, it is now possible to reproduce the complexity of gestures in movement in absolute perfection.
Through this technological and artistic partnership, the visual artist, Stéphane Simon, can draw on Initial’s experience of more than 25 years and its unrivaled expertise in 3D printing.
“In memory of me”, a project with universal resonance
We have entered the digital era. No one can deny that we are experiencing a major revolution that affects the very nature of our human behavior a little more every day. In our current environment, which focuses on visual and virtual approaches, we are submerged by images and the recent phenomenon of the selfie. In a short span of time, self-portraits have become a genuine mass phenomenon and reveal a transformation in the very status of the subject. In reality, the widespread practice of the selfie reflects a major anthropological shift throughout the world. Mobile telephones have become a true extension of ourselves and this widespread practice of the selfie questions the place, use and strength of the image in our contemporary societies.