Daft Punk’s sculptures by Xavier Veilhan

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A lot of people know Daft Punk by their many hits, obviously, but also by their special appearances, referring to the visual of robots. Indeed, since the release of their debut album Homework in 1997, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo had felt fame and to keep some anonymity in public (rather shy), they had the idea to hide their faces behind masks. But it was in 2001 with the second album Discovery that a whole visual concept took place with some very complete equipments, made by the US company Alterian Inc., including helmets with LED animations, gloves, portable batteries, portable controller to the forearm… Then, helmets are simplified now (with a more sustained chrome effect) and suits took more importance with the help of the famous Hedi Sliman (see more here). All this to explain that the musicians never show their faces, by principle and since many years now, for the reasons mentioned above, but also to generate some mystery. The French artist Xavier Veilhan has decided otherwise and wanted to immortalize them as producers and not as musicians, they agreed. He explains how, to Les Inrocks (french mag), he convinced them:

I paid attention to contact them via their management rather than typing them on the shoulder. I was particularly cautious knowing that they take precautions around their image. For me, as an artist of visual domain, it’s admirable to see how they kept control of all those choices. The decision to participate in my project was a decision that they made with two other persons. Daft Punk, it’s not just Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, it’s not only the musical part that we know best. It’s also Daft Arts, the company with which they produced cartoons and a movie, Electroma.

Xavier Veilhan for Les Inrocks

French Touch Sculptures

Xavier Veilhan, graduated from the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris, continued his studies in Berlin into the workshop of the famous Georg Baselitz, before completing his studies at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Paris. After many creations and other prestigious projects, the artist met some friends of robots such as Sébastien Tellier, in 2006, for an event named SUPER related to art and music. Also in 2007, he participated to the development of the cover of the album Pocket Symphony from AIR with the two musicians Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin represented of glass and then work for a musical show called Aérolite. It’s therefore natural that the artist goes to Daft Punk in 2015. Here is what he says about them related to his project:

I proposed to introduce them as producers, not as musicians, and so after talking to them, we decided that they should appear with their civilian names. […] They proposed to me: ‘Okay, we should make the sculpture the non-existing image of us. So if somebody wants to see how we are like in real [life] they’ll have to look at the sculpture.

Xavier Veilhan for The Creator Project

Scanned from head to toe.

The Perrotin Gallery which showcases statues, is now available in New York since February 26 and will open its doors in Paris from March 7 to April 11. This exhibition named MUSIC, has many sculptures including the largest producers of musical history according Xavier Veilhan. Indeed, Daft Punk participated but also their collaborators like Giorgio Moroder and Pharrell Williams (with his partner Chad Hugo from The Neptunes) and the master Philippe Zdar (Cassius 1/2), Quincy Jones, Rick Rubin, Lee « Scratch » Perry and Nigel Godrich. All producers were scanned in 3D with an extreme caution, with the invaluable help of two assistants, a laptop and device rotating around producers for 15 to 30 minutes. Thomas and Guy-Manuel have been represented without their iconic helmets (but with big sunglasses) in relaxed position with hands in pockets. The two heroes of electronic music have been reproduced in birch plywood material (bétulacées wood type) for the following dimensions 161 x 100 x 55. You know what you have to do now.

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La plupart des gens connaissent le groupe Daft Punk par leurs nombreux tubes, évidemment, mais aussi par leurs apparences très soignées, liées à l’image de robots. En effet depuis la sortie de leur premier album Homework en 1997, Thomas Bangalter et Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo avaient senti la célébrité et pour garder un certain anonymat en public (de nature plutôt réservée), ils ont eu l’idée de se cacher derrière des masques. Mais c’est en 2001 avec le deuxième album Discovery que tout un concept visuel a pris forme avec un équipement très complet, géré par la société américaine Alterian Inc, comprenant des casques avec animations LED, gants, batteries portables, contrôleur portatif à l’avant-bras… Par la suite, les casques se sont simplifiés (avec un effet chromé plus soutenu) et les costumes ont pris le plus d’importance avec l’aide du célèbre Hedi Sliman (voir notre étude ici). Tout ceci pour exprimer le fait que les deux musiciens ne se font jamais prendre en photo à visage découvert, par principe et depuis des années pour les raisons évoquées plus haut mais aussi pour engendrer un certain mystère. Le plasticien français Xavier Veilhan a en décidé autrement et a voulu les immortaliser en tant que producteur et non musicien, ils ont accepté. Il explique aux Inrocks comment il les a convaincu:

 

J’ai fait attention de les contacter via leur management plutôt que de leur taper sur l’épaule. J’ai été particulièrement précautionneux connaissant les précautions qu’ils prennent autour de leur image. Pour moi, qui suis un artiste du domaine visuel, c’est admirable de voir à quel point ils ont gardé la maîtrise de tous ces choix-là. La décision de participer à mon projet était une décision qu’ils ont prise à quatre. Les Daft Punk, ce n’est pas seulement Thomas Bangalter et Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, ce n’est pas seulement la partie musicale qu’on connaît le mieux. C’est aussi Daft Arts, la société avec laquelle ils ont produit des dessins animés, et un film, Electroma.

Xavier Veilhan pour Les Inrocks

A lot of people know Daft Punk by their many hits, obviously, but also by their special appearances, referring to the visual of robots. Indeed, since the release of their debut album Homework in 1997, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo had felt fame and to keep some anonymity in public (rather shy), they had the idea to hide their faces behind masks. But it was in 2001 with the second album Discovery that a whole visual concept took place with some very complete equipments, made by the US company Alterian Inc., including helmets with LED animations, gloves, portable batteries, portable controller to the forearm… Then, helmets are simplified now (with a more sustained chrome effect) and suits took more importance with the help of the famous Hedi Sliman (see more here). All this to explain that the musicians never show their faces, by principle and since many years now, for the reasons mentioned above, but also to generate some mystery. The French artist Xavier Veilhan has decided otherwise and wanted to immortalize them as producers and not as musicians, they agreed. He explains how, to Les Inrocks (french mag), he convinced them:

I paid attention to contact them via their management rather than typing them on the shoulder. I was particularly cautious knowing that they take precautions around their image. For me, as an artist of visual domain, it’s admirable to see how they kept control of all those choices. The decision to participate in my project was a decision that they made with two other persons. Daft Punk, it’s not just Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, it’s not only the musical part that we know best. It’s also Daft Arts, the company with which they produced cartoons and a movie, Electroma.

Xavier Veilhan for Les Inrocks

Sculptures French Touch

Xavier Veilhan, diplômé de l’École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs de Paris, a poursuivi sa formation à Berlin dans l’atelier du célèbre Georg Baselitz, avant de terminer son cursus à l’Institut des hautes études en arts plastiques. Après de nombreuses créations d’objets d’art uniques et autres projets prestigieux, l’artiste a rencontré quelques proches des robots tels que Sébastien Tellier en 2006 pour un évènement nommé SUPER lié à l’art et la musique. Également, en 2007 il a participé à l’élaboration du cover de l’album Pocket Symphony du duo AIR avec les représentations en verre des musiciens Jean-Benoît Dunckel et Nicolas Godin pour ensuite collaborer pour un spectacle musicale nommé Aérolite. C’est donc tout naturellement que le plasticien se dirige vers les Daft Punk en cette année 2015. Voici ce qu’il évoque à leur égard à propos de son projet:

Je leur ai proposé de les représenter en tant que producteurs, pas en tant que musiciens, et après avoir discuté avec eux, on s’est mis d’accord sur le fait qu’ils devaient apparaître sous leurs vrais noms. Du coup, ils m’ont dit : « La sculpture doit être l’image qui n’existe pas de nous. Si les gens veulent savoir à quoi nous ressemblons dans la vraie vie, ils devront regarder la sculpture »

Xavier Veilhan pour The Creator Project

French Touch Sculptures

Xavier Veilhan, graduated from the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris, continued his studies in Berlin into the workshop of the famous Georg Baselitz, before completing his studies at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Paris. After many creations and other prestigious projects, the artist met some friends of robots such as Sébastien Tellier, in 2006, for an event named SUPER related to art and music. Also in 2007, he participated to the development of the cover of the album Pocket Symphony from AIR with the two musicians Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin represented of glass and then work for a musical show called Aérolite. It’s therefore natural that the artist goes to Daft Punk in 2015. Here is what he says about them related to his project:

I proposed to introduce them as producers, not as musicians, and so after talking to them, we decided that they should appear with their civilian names. […] They proposed to me: ‘Okay, we should make the sculpture the non-existing image of us. So if somebody wants to see how we are like in real [life] they’ll have to look at the sculpture.

Xavier Veilhan for The Creator Project

Scannés de la tête aux pieds

La Galerie Perrotin où sont présentées les statues, est accessible à New York depuis le 26 Février et ouvrira ses portes à Paris à partir du 7 Mars jusqu’au 11 avril. Cette exposition nommée MUSIC, possède de nombreuses sculptures dont les plus grands producteurs musicales de l’histoire selon Xavier Veilhan. En effet, les Daft Punk ont participé mais aussi leurs collaborateurs Giorgio Moroder et Pharrell Williams (avec son compère Chad Hugo de Neptunes) ainsi que le grand Philippe Zdar (1/2 Cassius), Quincy Jones, Rick Rubin, Lee « Scratch » Perry ou encore Nigel Godrich. Tous les producteurs ont été scannés en 3D avec une extrême précaution, avec l’aide précieuse de deux assistants, un ordinateur portable et un dispositif tournant autour du sujet pendant 15 à 30 minutes. Thomas et Guy-Manuel ont donc été représentés sans leurs emblématiques casques (mais avec de grosses lunettes de soleil) en mode décontracté avec les mains dans les poches. Les deux héros de la musique électronique ont été reproduit en matière contreplaqué de bouleau (bois de type bétulacées) pour les dimensions suivantes 161 x 100 x 55. Vous savez ce qu’il vous reste à faire.

Scanned from head to toe.

The Perrotin Gallery which showcases statues, is now available in New York since February 26 and will open its doors in Paris from March 7 to April 11. This exhibition named MUSIC, has many sculptures including the largest producers of musical history according Xavier Veilhan. Indeed, Daft Punk participated but also their collaborators like Giorgio Moroder and Pharrell Williams (with his partner Chad Hugo from The Neptunes) and the master Philippe Zdar (Cassius 1/2), Quincy Jones, Rick Rubin, Lee « Scratch » Perry and Nigel Godrich. All producers were scanned in 3D with an extreme caution, with the invaluable help of two assistants, a laptop and device rotating around producers for 15 to 30 minutes. Thomas and Guy-Manuel have been represented without their iconic helmets (but with big sunglasses) in relaxed position with hands in pockets. The two heroes of electronic music have been reproduced in birch plywood material (bétulacées wood type) for the following dimensions 161 x 100 x 55. You know what you have to do now.