©Stéphane Aït Ouarab
Zeus – the mecanic horse
Riding the waters of the Seine during the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, ZEUS is a monumental kinetic sculpture imagined, designed, and created by Atelier blam. Serving as the centerpiece for the “Darkness” and “Solidarity” tableaux, this work embodies a surge of hope and prowess, capable of awakening collective imaginations through a dialogue between precision mechanics and refined aesthetics.
The result of over a year of research, development, and fabrication, the metallic horse explores the technical and visual potential of aluminum: 3D printing for the head, dinanderie and hammering for the curves of the body, and precision machining for the articulated limbs. The key elements of its silhouette are enhanced by the application of silver leaf, accentuating its brilliance and monumentality.
Aliving and scenographic figure, Zeus combines traditional skills with contemporary innovations. The work questions the boundaries between craft, design and engineering, taking a technical and poetic look at movement.
Design : Atelier blam; Production : Atelier blam; Place : La Seine, Hôtel de ville de Paris, Versailles, France; Date : 2024; Owner : Sanofi
©Lisa Brun Lamotte / Atelier blam
©Claire Lavabre
©Claire Lavabre
©Féline Studio – courtesy Sanofi
©Claire Lavabre
