Papercraft Research: Zim & Zou

 

IMAGE SOURCE: https://zimandzou.fr/about

Lucie Thomas and Thibault Zimmermann, popularly known as Zim and Zou, are a French artist duo that handcrafts sculptural installations using unconventional materials. Zim and Zou have used paper, leather, and thread to create editorial campaigns, retro electronics, and custom window displays for big brands such as Hermès.

Zim and Zou spend up to hundreds of hours completing each paper installation because the material is fragile, and they need to measure and cut each component carefully. 

Their retro electronic series is a testament to Zim and Zou’s patience and precision in handling paper.

IMAGE SOURCE: Inspire Me Now: Retro Electronics Made of Paper by Zim and Zou

In an interview with Co.Design, Zim explains, “We decided to use a paper process to transform an industrial object into a handmade craft...The fact that the objects are not working places the user in a spectator position, a way to see the object out of its function.”

I enjoyed hearing this idea of forcing the viewer to consider retro electronics out of their function. It sort of reminds me of the Mashup project, which allowed us to modify or re-contextualize the function of everyday objects such as phones, toys, musical instruments, etc. In general, I also find retro electronics very appealing because they have an element of nostalgia and slight impracticality. I was pleasantly surprised to see Zim and Zou’s paper cassette tapes, polaroid cameras, and brick phones. I appreciated the brick phone on a more personal level because I also recently made a re-interpretation of the brick phone.

IMAGE SOURCE: Mole Empire (molempire.com)

 IMAGE SOURCE: Zim & Zou - Chef's Masks (zimandzou.fr)

Diablo de Yare, Venezuela

Another piece that I found particularly striking was Zim and Zou’s Chef’s Mask series. The more I look at the works, the more I discover semi-disguised elements — like how many of the structural components are fruits and vegetables — that contribute to the tongue-in-cheek concept. The Chef’s Masks also reminded me of the Diablos Danzantes de Yare (The Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi) from Venezuela, where I am from. Artists make the Diablo masks out of papier-maché, and dancers wear them in parades during Carnival season. In the next stage of this Papercraft Project, I am interested in constructing a re-interpretation of the Diablo mask with some of the bright colours and forms that Zim and Zou use.

Left: Diablos de Yare Street Procession  |  Right: Diablo de Yare Mask 

Besides being drawn to Zim and Zou’s subject matter, I was drawn to the fact that the artwork is simultaneously precise, methodical, and playful. To me, it is important for artwork to have an element of humour and experimentation, even if the final work looks very polished and perfect. I also enjoyed the bright colour palette, which is similar to the one I use in my artwork, as shown below.

Daniela Szeoke. Las Cartas. 2020. Print on PVC Plastic, 30 x 51in each. 

 

Backside of the Cards

I recently discovered that the characters depicted in tarot cards have parallels to Latin characters from carnivals and religious festivities. This discovery inspired me to create oversized Latin-styled tarot cards (pictured above), which are a combination of two concepts that explore esoteric origins and mystical ideas.

I made the illustrations from scratch in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and then printed them on PVC plastic.

As you may have noticed, the card on the left, El Diablo, was inspired by the Diablo de Yare. I would love to continue exploring my re-interpretation of the Diablo in the next stage of the Papercraft project.