The muse as a portal to the imaginary

Sculpture and Virtual Reality

In collaboration with the performance artist and singer Kelly Mézino, we reinterpret Man Ray’s iconic photograph Le Violon d’Ingres, which depicts the back of Kiki de Montparnasse adorned with two violin sound holes.

In this digital artwork, we engage the senses of touch, sight, and hearing to recreate the connection between the artist, the model, and the viewer.
The viewer, equipped with a virtual reality headset, is invited to gently touch a silicone cast of artist Kelly Mézino’s back, embedded with pressure sensors.
Through the headset, depending on the viewer’s touch, the model’s digital double begins to sing, and her virtual back becomes covered with animated tattoos.
In this way, the symbolism and sensuality of the original photograph are transformed, elevating the female body itself into a musical instrument.

Model or muse?

When Man Ray looks at the back of his muse, Kiki, what does he see? A back? A violin? What, then, distinguishes the model from the muse?
What does the artist see when looking at his model, or when creating a work of art? The beauty of a body? Something beyond?

“Amusique” is part of the Kellynoïde project, a series of digital artworks exploring the creation of a virtual actor — the Kellynoïde — a “Double-Other” of the multifaceted artist Kelly Mézino, standing at the crossroads of art, technology, and imagination.
Alongside “Line”, another piece built around the Kellynoïde, “Amusique” continues our quest to merge traditional art with technological innovation.
Inspired by Man Ray’s “Le Violon d’Ingres”, “Amusique” pays tribute to Kiki de Montparnasse — not merely as a model, but as a true gateway to the imagination.
Through this work, we seek to show that the muse transcends her role as model to become an inexhaustible source of creativity and dream.
By integrating interactive and immersive technologies, “Amusique” invites viewers into a unique sensory experience, where art and virtual reality converge to create dreamlike and surreal worlds.

Digital sculpture, mold-making, and 3D printing

We began with a posing session with Kelly to ensure we were all aligned on the posture and expression of “Amusique.” This step was crucial to capture the essence of our artistic vision.
Once the pose was defined, we carried out the first modeling tests using Taupipeline, which integrates software such as Blender, ZBrush, and Houdini.
These tools enabled us to create a detailed 3D image that remained faithful to our initial concept.
This modeling phase was essential to bring “Amusique” to life and to prepare the next stages of our project.We began with a posing session with Kelly to ensure we were all aligned on the posture and expression of “Amusique.” This step was crucial to capture the essence of our artistic vision.
Once the pose was defined, we carried out the first modeling tests using Taupipeline, which integrates software such as Blender, ZBrush, and Houdini.
These tools enabled us to create a detailed 3D image that remained faithful to our initial concept.
This modeling phase was essential to bring “Amusique” to life and to prepare the next stages of our project.

After completing the 3D modeling, we proceeded to print a figurine of Kelly Mézino using a 3D printer, along with an initial version of the bust of “Amusique”, which the audience will be invited to touch.
This PLA-printed version allowed us to concretely visualize our artwork and make the necessary adjustments.

In parallel, we created computer-generated images showing what the viewer will see, in order to document each stage of the process and ensure the fidelity of our artistic vision.
These visualizations were essential in refining the details and preparing the final version of “Amusique.”

After finalizing the first 3D-printed version and the reference images, we produced a life-size print of the bust mold.
This step allowed us to create a silicone skin, thus simulating the realistic texture of human flesh.
This process was crucial in giving “Amusique” an authentic and tactile appearance, enhancing both immersion and interaction with the artwork.

Sensors and Arduino

To make the surface of “Amusique” tactile, we integrated pressure sensors connected to Arduino modules.
These sensors detect the gentle touches and caresses that viewers apply to the silicone sculpture.
To optimally install the electronic components, we reprinted the internal structure of the bust with specific adjustments.
This inner structure is then covered with a layer of silicone, simulating the texture of human skin while embedding the pressure sensors.
This innovation enables a unique and immersive interaction between the artwork and the audience.

The Imaginal World

Immersion and Virtual Reality

The idea that Kelly Mézino and I developed is to make the muse’s body a passage into the imagination.
We use virtual reality as a means to wander through dreams and the imaginary.
Thus, we created interactive environments controlled by the sensors embedded in the back of the silicone bust.
These sensors allow viewers to journey through experiences that range from a direct homage to Man Ray’s photograph to worlds inspired by De Chirico, Magritte, and Prévert.
This immersive and interactive approach transforms “Amusique” into a unique experience, where the muse becomes a gateway to dreamlike and surreal worlds.

Interaction and Being Touched

Through the virtual reality headset, the viewer experiences a surreal, dreamlike journey.
This immersive, interactive, 360-degree perspective — combined with the materialization of the viewer’s hands via a Leap Motion device — enhances this oneiric sensation.
Viewers can thus interact with the virtual environments we have created, moving through worlds inspired by De Chirico, Magritte, and Prévert.
This technology transforms “Amusique” into a fully sensory experience, where the imagination comes to life in a tangible and immersive form.

NTAa’25 Zebrastraat Ghent

“Amusique” is presented at Zebrastraat in Ghent, Belgium, as part of the NTAa ’25 — an exhibition celebrating the intersection between Surrealism and Artificial Intelligence, running from February 20 to June 8, 2025.
It is one of the 22 artworks selected by curator Thierry Dufrêne.
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