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posters and costumes. It’s also a way to
involve local schools before the carnival
takes place. We can show children how
an app is designed, and how maths and
coding makes it possible to create very
interesting things.
Much of your work is focused on
character design. What mood do you
hope you capture with your characters?
The aim is to communicate empathy with
simple shapes through my characters. I’m
not interested in grotesque or excessive
expressions – not even seductive ones. I
prefer to come up with bold and simple
characters. Then, by slightly adjusting
their eyelashes for example, the character
becomes curious and communicates a
range of emotions. They’re usually distant
and surprised by the world around them.
Can you reveal what inspires your
character design work?
I’m truly touched by [French film-maker]
Jacques Tati’s universe. The body language
of Monsieur Hulot is one of my favourite
references. I have a lot of admiration for
[French animated TV series] Les Shadoks
and Téléchat from Topor as well.
You’ll be speaking at Pictoplasma in
Berlin later this year. What are you
going to talk about?
I’m going to show my latest projects and
some works-in-progress. I like to explain
the different steps and the process behind
the artworks, leading to the final work.
Are you working on anything as Gangpol
& Mit at the moment?
We recently released a cartoon series on
Arte.fr called Globozone. This animated
series holds a special place in my heart.
It’s the logical progression of all our work
since we began collaborating 15 years ago.
Globozone is a huge commercial and
technological centre that no one ever
comes out of. In a near and globalised
future, two employees are bored in
their respective positions. One is a lax
security officer, the other a psychopathic
accountant. They’re united by a common
passion: to fight the monotony using
the surprising power of DIY audio and
musical messages.Why do you think you and Gangpol
work so well together?
I’d say we work perfectly as a team. We’re
strict when it comes to work, and we
always come to an agreement concerning
our artistic choices. We also talk to each
other a lot.Where do you think your interest in
design comes from originally?
My first memory was when I turned 11. My
parents enrolled me in a summer painting
class, and we were asked to paint farm
animals. I pictured all the animals on an
area of colours, freely and spontaneously.
I didn’t notice the day go by and at the
end of the class, the teacher was really
enthusiastic towards my work.
I believe this special painting class was
important. Then again, all the things I saw
as a child nourished my creative self. They
could be paintings in French churches,
designs on cereal boxes that I scanned
with my eyes every morning during mybreakfast. And of course, Japanese anime
used to fascinate me as a kid.Tell us about that interest in anime.
Where did it start, and how does it
influence your work today?
As a child, several shows left their mark on
me, such as [Japanese manga series] Cat’s
Eye and [French-Japanese animated series]
Les Mystérieuses Cités d’Or. Then, when
I was studying art, I became passionate
about the free animated work of the Paper
Rad collective. This DIY approach inspired
my work for the Gangpol & Mit project.
I also read a lot of independent comic
books. For example, Éditions Cornélius
and Black Lezard editions are fascinating
publishers in France.What are you working on right now?
At the moment I’m developing a huge
exhibition based on my most recent
carnival in Bordeaux. I also have to fly
to Tokyo to organise a parade and an
exhibition in collaboration with Ars
Electronica and the French Institute.What would you like to explore next?
I’d like to work on an ambitious and
cultural project that involves artistic
direction and relationships with different
artists. Perhaps some kind of festival that
gives us the opportunity to meet people
and develop innovative artistic projects.