Since 2016, Cédric Plessiet and Kelly Mézino have been working together to highlight the principle of digital representation. Drawing on the notions and techniques developed by one, and the visual experience of the other, the concept of the “double-other” takes shape in an entity named: the Kellynoide. A blend of research, tool-making, and cross-disciplinary approaches, this project explores new models of digital creation by bringing into dialogue the traditional art of posing with the more recent practices of the digital realm. Between new simulacrum and virtual reality, the works and articles they present reflect the technical and rhetorical evolutions of the two artists. In service of the artwork, and through the principle of research-creation, imagination unfolds.
Curious artists yet firmly rooted in their respective fields—Theatre and Digital Arts—Kelly Mézino and Cédric Plessiet first met in 2016, during a seminar at Université Paris VIII. Without imagining a long-term collaboration, they initially exchanged ideas around the seminar’s goals: to design an avatar as a teaching tool. The aim was to create a character animated by students, allowing them to learn about and question concepts of interaction and play—bringing their two disciplines into conversation. Gradually, their shared questions about posture, embodiment, and immersion in complex digital environments sparked foundational discussions. A few tests were carried out to improve the rendering and to make a model-avatar perceptible… How could it be made more realistic and more impactful? How might each proposal shift our relationship to the aesthetics of digital art?
This work allowed Cédric Plessiet—who had already created works featuring friends and relatives—to explore the power of images in a more personal and profound way, working with a model equally invested in such research. Intrigued by the technical dimension of the process, and more accustomed to photo shoots and performances, Kelly Mézino embraced this new expressive terrain, engaging with the themes and questions raised by Cédric Plessiet.
Since 2018, they have been developing tools, images, and imaginaries together, grounded in their bond and their aspirations. The Kellynoide may well become a third voice, a model in its own right, and a support for their shared ambitions.
Cédric Plessiet : https://cplessiet.fr/ – https://www.instagram.com/ze_taupe?igsh=dWhocTA1ZWZib2I1 – https://www.artstation.com/artwork/bKeA8g
Kelly Mézino : https://lakyrielle.fr/ – https://www.instagram.com/kellymezino?igsh=bHdkZmp2eXoxeHVi
