How Are the Artworks of the Mechanical Sentiments Collection Created?

We spoke with artists Andy Artyuhin & Alina Lutaeva about the creative process behind the works, the stages of 3D scanning, and how the project bridges the digital and physical worlds.

🔅 The Characters of the Project
The idea of the project is to bring together people from diverse communities, ages, and backgrounds, while adding a layer of our perception. Participants could be casual acquaintances: friends from Parisian parties, strangers on the street, or a bartender in Venice who offered a glass of wine. A character doesn’t have to be a close friend — what matters is the connection and the fleeting story born from that encounter. This is where the project begins.

🔅 3D Scanning
Andy began experimenting with 3D scanning in 2021, using professional, techique, and expensive equipment. The process was slow and labor-intensive. Today, thanks to smartphone’s apps like LiDAR , it takes just 15-20 minutes to create a high-quality 3D scan that combines photography and volume. Heavy equipment is a thing of the past.

🔅 Transformation
A 3D scan consists of two elements: form and texture. For the project, we focused solely on the texture. Inspired by the Impressionists, we minimally altered the textures, avoiding color correction or retouching to preserve their natural randomness and authenticity.

🔅 Lettering
Alina created the text by hand, using a brush and black paint, and later digitized it into vector graphics. The lettering reflects personal thoughts, emotions, and associations tied to the project’s participants. It plays with the universality of language: phrases that are familiar to all but hold unique meanings for each individual.

🔅 Physical Objects
Each digital piece can be transformed into a tangible one, such as a sculpture or a printed pattern. At a group exhibition in Paris this November, Andy presented an art piece — a texture brought to life through this approach.

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