« Furtivo » by Xavier Veilhan & Sébastien Tellier

« Furtivo » by Xavier Veilhan & Sébastien Tellier

© Xavier Veilhan / ADAGP, Paris, 2010

« Furtivo » by Xavier Veilhan & Sébastien Tellier

France, Italy / 2007 / video / 30’ / color
Digital Edition / 14,99€

“Furtivo” tells the tale of a man whose visions take shape through his drawings, which he turns into models and 3D images. As the film progresses, those turn into the very physical, actual objects they initially represent to finally become part of the scenery in which this man is evolving.

Main character Sébastien Tellier is also the singer and songwriter of the soundtrack. The film tells the story of his trip from the land (the Lingotto factory, Turin) to the sea – first by car, then on horseback – a trip ending up on a boat called “Stealth” (Furtivo in Italian, hence the title), a racing yacht belonging to Giovanni Agnelli’s family.

In 2005, during a trip to Turin, Xavier Veilhan captures the FIAT factory, an architectural treasure from the 1920s, on camera. From this, he creates “Lithophanie n.10 (Lingotto)”, a piece derived from a snapshot taken from the factory ramp. The artist takes a great interest in FIAT and its prominent role in the industrialization of Europe. During his research on the subject, he discovers Stealth, a unique industrial design gem by Giovanni Agnelli, owner of FIAT – a slick, light carbon-fiber yacht, winner of many races. A masterpiece of sculpture, which artist Xavier Veilhan would have loved to create himself.