Antoine Dufilho at Le Mans: kinetics meets racing

Le Mans, the world capital of endurance racing, and Antoine Dufilho, a French sculptor from Lille, share a passion for transforming the automobile movement into art. As the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has just consecrated Ferrari for the third year running, and as Le Mans Classic prepares to bring together some 235,000 enthusiasts from July 3 to 6, 2025, the sculptor’s work resonates particularly with the spirit of the legendary circuit.

Sculptor Antoine Dufilho and the spirit of Le Mans: a natural encounter

Having made his mark on the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2023 with his monumental sculptures of the Ferrari 330 P4 and Porsche 910 “Caméléon”, Antoine Dufilho continues to embody the very essence of motor racing through his creations. “I’ve always considered the 24 Hours of Le Mans a source of admiration and inspiration. I’ve fulfilled a childhood dream”, confided the artist at this first exhibition in the 24 Hours Village, supported by Jean Todt and the ACO. The artist, who divides his time between his studio in Lille and his international exhibitions, finds the world of Le Mans a constant source of inspiration for his automotive art.

This connection between the artist and Le Mans comes at a pivotal moment: the 24 Hours of Le Mans museum is beginning its transformation into M24, the future 8,600 m² international motorsports museum, due to open in 2026. Le Mans continues to be a hot spot, with the “McLaren: A Name for Eternity” exhibition on view until July 7, 2025, testifying to the constant synergy between art and automobiles that characterizes the site.

An ongoing dialogue between art, cars and speed in the heart of Le Mans

Antoine Dufilho’s creations naturally find their place at Le Mans, where art has met the automobile for decades. His “Streamline” technique, developed in 2016 in his workshop near Lille, captures the very essence of endurance racing: suggesting movement in immobility, making the metal vibrate like a Ferrari or Porsche engine launched at full power on the Hunaudières.

“Our brain tends to imagine the logical sequence of events. Asymmetry creates an illusion of movement,” explains Antoine Dufilho. This approach particularly resonates with the spirit of Le Mans, where each spectator projects his or her own image of the race onto the racing cars as they go by, where each curve tells the story of decades of mechanical and human challenges.

The latest news from Le Mans in 2025

The year 2025 marks a new era for Le Mans. After Ferrari’s historic victory in the 24 Hours (the third in a row, a first since the 1960s), the Le Mans circuit is set to welcome Le Mans Classic. This 12th edition promises to be exceptional, with over 700 historic racing cars and 8,000 collector vehicles on display, including legendary Ferrari and Porsche models.

It’s against this backdrop of effervescent automotive news that Antoine Dufilho’s sculptures naturally interact with the spirit of Le Mans. His works, from the monumental “Red Stream” inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO to “Velocity”, a tribute to the Bugatti Veyron, perfectly embody the values of speed and endurance that have made the Le Mans circuit such a legend.

Antoine Dufilho: from Lille to international markets, a presence that radiates from Le Mans

Antoine Dufilho’s career in 2025 bears witness to his international influence from France: Courchevel during the winter season, Motorworld Mallorca, Les Légendes de Nice, Vila Real in Portugal, Saint-Tropez, and notably Forte dei Marmi, where his “Mitologia Dinamica” exhibition celebrates the Italian icons Ferrari and Maserati until September 30. But it’s in Le Mans that the artist, originally from the Lille region, finds a particular resonance for his automotive art.

Antoine Dufilho, who has already won over prestigious collectors such as Jean Todt and institutions like the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, finds Le Mans a natural setting for his automotive creations. His monumental sculptures, playing with light and reflections, transform steel and aluminum into visual narratives that capture the DNA of mythical cars – Ferrari, Porsche, Bugatti – without ever copying them.

Automotive innovation at the heart of Le Mans tradition

As the ACO prepares the introduction of a new hydrogen category for 2027 and the new M24 museum at Le Mans is built under the impetus of Richard Mille, the works of Antoine Dufilho embody Le Mans’ ability to reinvent itself. The artist, who respects the rights and image of car brands, creates interpretations that sublimate the very essence of each model.

Its “Streamline” technique, developed in 2016, finds a particular echo in the history of Le Mans, where aerodynamics has always been crucial. This artistic approach, which plays on longitudinal cutting and visual effects, recalls the constant research by carmakers to optimize air penetration on the long Hunaudières straight.

His sculptures, whether evoking the Bugatti Type 35 or anticipating future abstract forms, mirror the legendary Le Mans race, which has been in constant evolution since 1923. Antoine Dufilho brings a new artistic dimension to the automotive world of Le Mans, building bridges between contemporary French art and the world’s automotive heritage.

A meeting between art and the automobile: the spirit of Le Mans in Dufilho’s work

For fans of Le Mans Classic 2025, Antoine Dufilho’s work represents the perfect symbiosis between contemporary art and automotive heritage. His sculptures embody the very essence of Le Mans: seeing the automobile transcended by art, movement frozen in matter, the race told in a different way. It’s this alchemy between artistic creation and automotive passion that makes Antoine Dufilho an essential artist for understanding the cultural dimension of motor sport.

His sculptures are not mere representations; they are poetic interpretations where the Ferrari 330 P4 becomes a “Red Racing Flower”, where Formula 1 becomes a pure line of force. This ability to extract the essence of a car and sublimate it makes Antoine Dufilho a unique artist in the panorama of contemporary automotive art.

Antoine Dufilho’s latest creations bear witness to the vitality of automotive art in France, where tradition and innovation meet to create new sensory experiences around the passion for cars. To discover all his creations, visit the model gallery and follow his latest news.

To keep up with Antoine Dufilho’s latest news and discover his upcoming exhibitions in France and around the world: www.antoinedufilho.com and @antoine.dufilho on Instagram.