Remember… In early 2018, the Renault art collection joined forces with the Paris School of Decorative Arts (ENSAD) to display original works by Vasarely within the school. The considerable enthusiasm inspired by this event gave rise to a new idea: to support a young graduate during the creative process. This support takes the form of a residency, leaving the artist free to give free rein to their art, taking their inspiration from the automotive industry.
Co-opting an artist, the DNA of the art collection
At end-June 2018, a jury made up of teachers from the school and Ann Hindry, curator of the Renault art collection, examined the applications put together by students at the end of their studies. The young artist selected was Jean-Baptiste Lorthiois, a graduate in Art & Espace (art and space).
Enstone as a playground
The final step was to find the right place to welcome and support this artistic effervescence... An oasis of advanced technology lost in the English countryside, not far from Oxford, the Renault F1 Team’s technical base at Enstone appeared to be ideal. At this legendary F1 site, the creative efforts of Jean-Baptiste Lorthiois were completely untrammeled. The young artist had unlimited access to the site’s tools, materials and production techniques (software, 3D Printing Shop, etc.).
“The works produced with Renault F1 Team engineers reflect our ambition to illustrate another vision of speed, based on the work carried out and the time dedicated to the task.”, Jean-Baptiste Lorthiois
Three months, three works
The exceptional conditions created by Renault fed the creativity of the young artist, who produced three unique works that will be added to the Group’s art collection. These works share a common denominator: time. Time is expressed through movement, speed, but also patience. The result is visible in three works:
- Speed in progress, which adds a touch of the absurd to the Formula 1 track
- Déplacer le mouvement (shifting movement), which brings together objects of different materials and purposes
- Le travail de la vitesse (work for speed), which showcases the human side of Renault engineers and technicians
The work Speed in Progress will travel to the four corners of the globe as part of traveling expositions.
To find out more about the work of Jean-Baptiste Lorthiois: https://www.jblorthiois.com/speed-takes-time
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