Formula One by Antoine Dufilho: a sculpted tribute to the golden age of Formula 1 racing
In July 2022, a 1.2-ton sculpture made its debut on the Paul Ricard circuit during the French Formula 1 Grand Prix. Its creator, Antoine Dufilho, paid homage to the single-seaters of the 90s, those that inspired a whole generation of enthusiasts. With Formula One, the sculptor has left his comfort zone to offer a treatment and finish never before seen in his work. A look back at a monumental piece that embodies the encounter between kinetic art and motor racing.
A sculpture born of childhood memories
Senna, Prost and the dreams of a little boy
Formula One is not a faithful reproduction of a specific single-seater. Antoine Dufilho deliberately chose to create an evocation, a sculpture that could represent a model driven by Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost in the 90s. As the artist himself explains, he drew on his childhood memories of the Formula 1s that made him dream in front of the television. This emotional approach sets Formula One apart from most of his other automotive creations, which are generally based on identifiable models such as the Ferrari 250 GTO or Porsche 356.
Evocation rather than faithful reproduction
This artistic approach frees the sculpture from the specifications imposed by a real model. Where every Porsche 992 Streamline or Aston Martin DB5 must respect the proportions of the original vehicle, Formula One allows itself a more personal interpretation. The artist has been able to accentuate certain volumes, exaggerate the width of the fins, and hollow out the silhouette to amplify the impression of speed. It’s a tribute to the very spirit of motor racing, rather than to a particular chassis.
1.2 tonnes of steel, for an impression of lightness
65 plates, three materials, a radical contrast
Formula One’s dimensions make it a major monumental piece in the artist’s catalog: 4.30 metres long, 2 metres wide and 1 metre high, weighing an estimated 1,200 kg. The sculpture is composed of 65 plates, each with a different positioning and inclination. The fuselage is painted black, the perforated base is white, and the fins and wheels are made of mirror-polished stainless steel. This black-white-mirror chromatic triptych represents a new treatment in Antoine Dufilho’s work. Until now, his monumental works such as Red Racing Flower (the Ferrari 330 P4 permanently installed at Le Touquet) and Gunmetal Symphony have favored more unitary palettes.
The contrast between light-absorbing lacquer paint and light-reflecting stainless steel creates a permanent visual interplay. Depending on the time of day and the viewer’s position, the single-seater seems to change its identity. Reflections on the black or white surfaces reinforce the dynamism of the whole, giving this one-ton sculpture a paradoxical impression of lightness.
Perforated base and massive fins: two innovations in one
Two elements distinguish this sculpture from the artist’s previous monumental creations. Firstly, the perforated base provides a graphic treatment never before explored. It creates a visual effect reminiscent of the technical grids of the racing world. The fins, meanwhile, have been designed as two massive pieces for maximum visual impact. Their mirror-polished stainless steel surface reflects the environment and amplifies the kinetic effect that the artist seeks in each of his works.
The wheels also benefit from a novel technique, confirmed by the sculpture’s official technical description. This attention to detail on every component is reminiscent of the artist’s philosophy: from 60 to 300 components are machined to a tenth of a millimetre for each sculpture, whether in collection or monumental format.
From the French Grand Prix to the private collection
July 2022, Circuit Paul Ricard: sculpture takes to the track
The first public presentation of Formula One took place in an exceptional setting. From July 22 to 24, 2022, the sculpture was installed on the grounds of the French Formula 1 Grand Prix, at the Circuit Paul Ricard. This context gave the work a special resonance: it interacted directly with the contemporary single-seaters on the track, while paying homage to their ancestors from the 90s.
This is not the first time Antoine Dufilho has exhibited in a prestigious automotive setting. Red Stream, his 1:1 scale Ferrari 250 GTO built using the Streamline technique, was unveiled at the 2022 Paris Motor Show in front of over 400,000 visitors. But its presence at the French Grand Prix marks a more direct anchorage in the world of competition, in keeping with the very subject of the sculpture.
Formula 1 Black: a version for collectors
In addition to the monumental model, Antoine Dufilho has created a collector’s version. Referred to as Formula 1 Black, this reduced-format piece takes up the aesthetic codes of the large sculpture: the contrast of black, the lines of the single-seater, the alternation of solids and voids. Like most of the artist’s collector’s sculptures, it is made of aluminum and stainless steel.
Formula One is part of a larger body of work dedicated to motor racing. Antoine Dufilho has also created a Formula E sculpture, inspired by the DS E-TENSE and created in collaboration with driver Jean-Éric Vergne, as well as the 205 T16 co-signed with Jean Todt. Each of these pieces testifies to the artist’s ability to go beyond the simple representation of the vehicle to capture the emotion of the race. All these creations can be seen in the artist’s partner galleries.