Dufilho and kinetic art: creating movement from the immobile
In the world of contemporary sculpture, Antoine Dufilho occupies a singular place. Since 2011, this architect-turned-sculptor has been defying the laws of perception by creating static works that seem perpetually in motion. Through his revolutionary Streamline and Solaire techniques, the artist transforms steel and aluminum into kinetic vehicles, inviting the viewer to become an actor in the illusion. This mastery of kinetic art applied to the automobile represents a constant evolution, with each new creation pushing back the boundaries of traditional sculpture.
The revolutionary techniques of kinetic illusion
The Streamline technique: sculpted speed
In 2022, Antoine Dufilho revolutionized his approach with the Streamline technique, named after the research work carried out in the wind tunnel. This innovation consists in cutting the shape longitudinally, creating maximum transparency when the viewer faces the work. As the artist explains for his Jaguar Type E: “I created this technique, which I named Streamline, to represent speed and symbolize the research carried out in the wind tunnel.”
The Ferrari 250 GTO Streamlined is a perfect example of this approach. The blades that form the sculpture seem to vanish as you face it, while its elegance remains perfectly recognizable from a three-quarter view. The McLaren Speedtail also benefits from this treatment, where transparency reaches its peak when viewed from the front, creating a sensation of permanent acceleration.
Solar technology: the innovation of 2023
In 2023, the Porsche 993 inaugurates a new approach called “Solaire”. This revolutionary technique employs two sets of plates positioned in a solar pattern, fitting together without ever touching. The resulting effect is reminiscent of two cooperating gears, illustrating Porsche’s characteristic precision engineering.
This innovation represents a turning point in Dufilho’s work, symbolically marking the passage from one era to another, just as the 993 was the last air-cooled Porsche. The plates create a permanent visual dialogue, generating a perpetual dynamic that transcends the immobility of the material.
Asymmetry as a motion generator
The Asymmetrical 356 of 2023 explores a fascinating psychological concept. Dufilho explains, “Our brain tends, by anticipation, to imagine the logical sequence of events, and when it perceives an asymmetrical object, it projects itself into the object’s movement, imagining it falling or rising.”
The Porsche 901 takes this research a step further with a progressive asymmetrical placement of the plates. Tightened at the front, they gradually spread out towards the rear, creating an accentuated kinetic effect. The plates take on unprecedented shapes, resembling blades that dynamically dress the bodywork.
The architecture of movement: solids, voids and transparency
The play of oriented plates
The sculpture inspired by the Porsche 997 Targa, created in 2019, marks a turning point with its plates each featuring a different orientation and positioning. This innovation culminates in Red Racing Flower, where 100 red-lacquered aluminum slats open “like a flower beginning to bloom”. The gaps between the plates gradually increase and decrease, creating an effect of visual acceleration.
Formula One takes this research to the extreme. The massive whole, alternating solids and voids, reflections and black lacquer paint, generates incredible dynamism. Immobile, the sculpture seems to be in perpetual motion, offering the viewer an unprecedented view depending on his or her vantage point.
360-degree transparency
Stainless steel tube sculptures like the Porsche 930, Cobra and 300 SL explore a different kind of transparency. The tubes form an artistically elaborate honeycomb, allowing the car to disappear when viewed from the front, while retaining its overall morphology otherwise. This approach is in line with Dufilho’s constant quest for maximum transparency.
Monumental sculptures: kinetic art on a grand scale
Red Stream: the fading 250 GTO
The Red Stream, a monumental sculpture measuring 4.60 meters, represents the culmination of the Streamline technique on a scale of 1. Exhibited on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice in November 2023, this Ferrari 250 GTO uses longitudinal cutting to create a spectacular frontal disappearing effect.
Initially presented at the Paris Motor Show 2022 to 400,000 visitors, this work demonstrates how Dufilho’s kinetic art transcends scale. The plates play with the Mediterranean light, creating an ever-changing visual symphony.
Chameleon: the colorful mutation
Chameleon represents a radical innovation presented at Rétromobile 2023. Inspired by the Porsche 910, this two-tone sculpture takes optical illusion to the extreme. Each plate is painted a different color on each side: blue on one side, yellow on the other.
Light reverberation produces an optical effect that creates a third color: green. Seen from three-quarters of the way up on the left, it appears entirely yellow, while on the right it appears completely blue. The rough edges reveal the bare metal, adding a further dimension to this perpetual transformation.
Agility: the centenary of the Type 35 on the move
Agility celebrates the centenary of the Bugatti Type 35 with a fresh, organic approach. The bead-blasted stainless steel plates are arranged in a natural way, creating harmonious lines that reflect speed and aerodynamics.
For the first time, Dufilho creates a sculpture in a running posture. The work seems alive, the stainless steel reflecting the light in changing ways. The organic arrangement of the plates reinforces the idea of movement, as if the car were perpetually accelerating.
The philosophy of motionless movement
The spectator as creator of movement
Dufilho’s kinetic art fundamentally transforms the relationship between the work and its viewer. The viewer becomes an actor, his or her movement around the sculpture generating the visual animation. Each angle offers a different perception, creating a unique and personal experience.
This interactive approach transcends traditional passive contemplation. The viewer actively participates in the creation of the kinetic effect, gradually discovering the multiple facets of the work. Sculpture thus becomes a dynamic, evolving experience.
From architecture to dynamic sculpture
Dufilho’s training as an architect is reflected in his structural approach. His work on framing, discovered during his architectural studies in Lille, reveals “a succession of fullness and emptiness, bringing lightness and dynamism to the overall form”. This architectural vision, enriched by three years of medical studies and their understanding of human mechanics, feeds his creative philosophy.
The artist builds before deconstructing, leaving only the essence of the work. This approach, inherited from architecture, creates structures that defy perception, where the static generates the dynamic, where the immobile perpetually suggests movement.
Antoine Dufilho redefines the boundaries of automotive sculpture, creating an ongoing dialogue between art and movement, matter and perception, reality and illusion.