Papercraft Research ~ Zim & Zou

Doing research into papercraft designers and objects, I found myself incredibly drawn to the art of Zim & Zou a graphic design studio that was created by the artists Lucie Thomas and Thibault Zimmerman. 

After an initial look at the various displays and project made by this duo, it is made clear that an extreme amount of focus and detail is put into each project. They have done various work with many displays that exhibit nature and storytelling through it, differing industrial products, as well as some that address and assist in raising awareness about important issues. This includes and is not limited to projects on the significance of childhood vaccination, the use of chemicals and aggressive farming methods within the food industry, and the tragedy of child soldiers used in conflicts. the works by Zim & Zou are incredibly eye catching due to the fact that the majority of their work is created with very bright/saturated colours and pastels. In some cases, this helps to  coax out a deeper meaning or another layer within some of the pieces. Here is an example-

Douceur / Douleur (Sweetness / Pain)

 A rather eye-catching (and equally depressing) project using juxtaposition between the innocence and sweetness of children using colour, with the unfortunate reality of children being forced into becoming soldiers and using violence/weapons with the design. *Note the near similarity of spelling but vast difference in meaning of the French words

personally, the main reason why I was so drawn to Zim & Zou's work at first glance was the sheer mixture and quantity of far from dull colours, along with the mind blowing amount of detail that has been put into some of their work. one piece that really struck a chord with me was an exhibition they created called Abyss.

Zim & Zou's description of the exhibition: Only 25% of the deep seas have been explored. These unknown territories are a real playground for imagination. Sometimes terrifying, but always fascinating, these living beings remain mysteries for scientists. Once the lights are off, the fishes reveal a bit of their secrets, irradiating the room with bioluminescence. The installation is like a surreal encounter with the most inaccessible creatures on earth.

Something about the expansive difference between the almost friendly, regularly lit up sea creatures in the first picture, and the bioluminescent, almost anxiety inducing dark glow of the second picture left quite the imprint on me. It made me think about how vital lighting can be in terms of creating meaning and context within an art piece. along with that, I absolutely love the idea of this exhibition, looking into the unknown mysteries of the world for inspiration. the undetermined is a good place to find inspiration I find, because it sparks creativity to fill in the gaps of the unknown, or "accessing the seemingly inaccessible.

I also feel inspired by their projects they in which they portray important subjects (such as Douceur / Douleur) because I hope to do the same with some of my future artwork. art is a universal language, which is why I think it is integral to show big ideas through artwork.

Overall, I have found a great appreciation for  Zim & Zou's work, and the work that they create. It has shown be how surprisingly versatile and moldable different methods of/with paper-craft can be.