Women of letters, women of science, women politicians, resistant women, artists, inspired creators… Where are the statues of famous women in the public space? On the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day, Snapchat, which has 27 million users in France, intends to remedy this oversight on its social network by displaying in augmented reality the statues of famous women who have left their mark on the story.
Women absent from the public space? Never mind: thanks to augmented reality, Snapchat will show statues of emblematic women on screens, alongside real monuments dedicated to famous men, from March 8. Left ” the somewhat sad observation that women are under-represented, with 10% or less of the statues “in the public space, Snap’s augmented reality studio” will honor 8 women, in 8 cities in France, on the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day, March 8 and beyond March 8.
Far from the playful “dog ears” filters that have made the reputation of the network, these terribly “real” 3D statues will appear on pedestals and in attitudes similar to those of male celebrities, via the brand with the little ghost logo or by scanning a QR code. Simone Veil will thus rub shoulders with General de Gaulle in Paris; in Lyon, the writer Simone de Beauvoir will be positioned alongside Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of Land of men a you Little Prince ; Joséphine Baker will accompany Jean Moulin to Metz…
Where are the statues of famous women in the public space?
The technology that makes it possible to superimpose computer-generated images on the real world will also honor the painter Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842), the woman of letters Françoise de Grafigny (1695-1758), Manon Tardon, a figure of the resistance, Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793), one of the pioneers of feminism, as well as feminist activist and journalist Hubertine Auclert (1848-1914), in Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg and Lille.
« We tried to associate woman of letters and man of letters, resistant and resistant etc. », explains Donatien Bozon, director of theAR Studio, Snap’s first center in the world dedicated to augmented reality, based in Paris. ” AR can be really useful in the field of culture “says the one who took the head of this studio last year, now surrounded by 14 people.
A self-funded cultural experience
The team has already offered augmented reality cultural experiences in Paris, but this is the first time that an experience has been developed at the national level – entirely self-funded by Snap. ” The beauty is that we have no pressure, no financial goals “says Mr. Bozon.
If the social network continues to gain users worldwide (750 million unique monthly users, including 27 million in France), Snap is currently facing “headwinds” according to its American naturalized French boss Evan Spiegel, linked in particular to the state of the advertising market. The group posted net losses of $288 million in 2022.
