The “In memory of me” project

initial design production impression 3D haute definition impression 3D sur mesure Impression 3D grand format sur-mesure
Large format 3D printing
Large format 3D printing

“Les créations”, is supporting the “In memory of me” project

by the visual artist Stéphane SIMON
Initial has entered into an industrial partnership with the visual artist Stéphane Simon as part of the launch of his “In memory of me – toward a new gestures directory” project.

Stéphane Simon has been working as a visual artist for more than 20 years, mainly focusing on representation of the human form.
The idea behind his sculpture project originated in Barcelona in 2013, a place the artist visits regularly to explore new avenues for research.
At that time, the available 3D printing techniques were not yet sufficiently advanced to perfectly reproduce a gesture.

Beyond the cutting-edge technology sought by Stéphane Simon, he became involved in various discussions with anthropologists, sociologists, art historians, photographers, communication and linguistics experts, doctors and digital specialists, in order to explore and reflect on the multiple aspects of works of art, true reflections of today’s society, to which the artist is particularly attached.

Two years later, with 3D printing techniques having vastly improved, the meeting between the artist and the Prodways industrial group, of which Initial is a subsidiary, allowed the feasibility of the project to be revisited.
Reproducing the complexity of movement gestures with absolute perfection is now possible thanks to the technologies available in Initial’s workshops.

By means of this technological and artistic partnership, the visual artist Stéphane Simon is able to capitalise on Initial’s more than 25 years’ experience and unrivalled 3D printing expertise.

initial design production fabrication pièce plastique impression 3d grand format sur-mesure
Large format 3D printing
Large format 3D printing

“In memory of me”, a project with universal resonance

We have entered the digital age. It is generally acknowledged that we are experiencing a major revolution, which is increasingly having a daily impact on the very nature of human behaviour.

In today’s environment, which focuses on the visual and the virtual, images and the recent phenomenon of “selfies” are overwhelming us.
In a very short time, self-portraits have become a true mass phenomenon, which is indicative of the change in the actual status of the subject.

In reality, this widespread practice of self-portraiture represents a major worldwide anthropological shift.
Mobile phones have become a true extension of ourselves and this widespread practice of self-portraiture raises the question of the place, utility and power of the image in modern societies.

Large format 3D printing

A universal form of non-verbal communication

Life-size sculptures – 180cm
Having become an essential ritual, selfies have resulted in the emergence of a brand new catalogue of movement gestures, the expression, meaning and use of which are unprecedented in the history of humanity.

This mode of communication, adopted by everyone around the world like no other practice or mode of expression before, has extremely numerous and powerful impacts and consequences on a social, societal, economic, political, medical, etc. level.

It also has visual and artistic characteristics that the life-size sculpture (human scale of 180 cm) chosen by Stéphane Simon as his medium of expression is now able to reproduce by creating beauty, poetry, strangeness and a connection with viewers, who are able to project and recognise themselves in the work regardless of its origin.

initial © Large format 3D printing
Large format 3D printing

A collaboration with an exceptional model: Andres SANJUAN VILLANUEVA

Andrès Sanjuan is 19 years old. Scouted by the Sight Management agency for his extraordinary physique, he began his career as a professional model at the age of 16.

As a visual art student, he is embarking on his architecture studies with the stated ambition of creating new sustainable and environmentally-friendly housing. At the same time, Andrés Sanjuan works on his body like a work of art, with a determination and regularity that is currently resulting in him being in demand by the world’s biggest brands and gracing catwalks right around the world.

About Stéphane SIMON

Stéphane Simon is a visual artist. Stéphane Simon is 45 years old and lives and works in Paris. He has been drawing and painting for more than 20 years with visual work focusing on representation of the human body and face. He has taken part in numerous group and solo exhibitions; the latest being in Paris in 2014 with the presentation of recent works produced entirely on paper.

His work features in a number of private collections.
In 2013, he decided to move into the field of sculpture using rapidly emerging 3D printing technologies, which offered opportunities for new creative forms and resulted in him acquiring new technical skills. The meeting with Initial would be decisive in ensuring the feasibility of large format 3D printing and the implementation of his “In Memory of Me” project, which spent more than 3 years in development.

Stéphane Simon was born in Nancy and comes from a family of artistic cabinetmakers.
His graphic work is heavily influenced by the linework mastery of printmakers from Nancy, Jacques Callot and Jacques Bellange, renowned in the 16th century for their exceptional dexterity.
Stéphane Simon also greatly admires artists from the Nancy school (Gallé, Vallin, Majorelle, Daum, etc.), whose avant-garde spirit and constantly inquiring minds set an example for him, as well as the working methods of the designer Jean Prouvé, whose drawing and design techniques he has studied closely.