Animated mannequins at the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition in Paris

The opening day of the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition did not disappoint – it was an extensive and amazing display of both his haute couture and pret-a-porter fashions from 1970 to 2013. The exhibition will be held at the Grand Palais in Paris from 1 April to 3 August 2015.

The richness of the exhibition is in its multiple themes and displays – from sketches, archives, stage costumes, props, and film or video footage from Gaultier’s fashion shows, concerts, dance performances and television appearances. The attention to detail was a highlight.

However, top marks go to the innovative technologies used to display the mannequins. Renowned artists and technicians, including Montreal theatre company UBU, directed by Denis Marleau and Stephanie Jasmin, used innovative projection techniques to showcase animated mannequins.

Placed around the ceilings were a series of projectors that screened animated faces onto the faces of the mannequins. This enabled the mannequins to appear life-like, with their eyes opening and closing, winking at the audience, following them, and making facial expressions. Some mannequins were talking, others were singing, while some greeted the audience with the occasional “bon jour.” In addition, Jean Paul Gaultier’s face was projected onto a mannequin, with him describing his collection. It certainly pleased the audience and was an unusual and unexpected highlight of the exhibition.

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