THE SIMONES
SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR SIMONE VEIL SIMONE SIGNORET
The sponsors
Marine and Marion
Marine and Marion are two women firmly rooted in their time: outward-looking, strong-willed, and deeply committed to the fundamental values of freedom and equality. Both are entrepreneurs in the tech industry, confidently asserting their place as equals to men without ever setting aside a femininity they proudly embrace.
They continually question the place of women in society: What rights have been passed down to us? At what cost, and through which struggles, were they won? What must we do to preserve them and secure those we have yet to achieve? What responsibility do we have to remember those who fought before us? And what could be more painful than being forced back to where we once began?
And yet…
Our era has been marked, among other things, by the overturning of abortion rights in several states across the United States.
Some might say, “That could never happen in France.” But is that really the point? For Marine and Marion, the sense of outrage is profound. And one sentence begins to resonate within them:
“Never forget that it will only take a political, economic or religious crisis for women’s rights our rights to be called into question.
Throughout your life, you must remain vigilant.”
And there it was. The creative starting point: to carry the message forward. Passionate about art, they decided to translate this shared conviction into a work dedicated to freedom, courage, determination, justice and altruism — a work devoted to the women of yesterday, reminding the women of today that although the path has been opened for them, the race is far from won.
As they like to say, each of them has a particular Simone close to her heart. For Marion, it is the revolutionary Simone de Beauvoir. A writer and philosopher who exposed a society in which women were kept in a position of inferiority, she championed equality while embracing difference and advocated for women’s emancipation, both through her writing and through the way she chose to live her life.
For Marine, it is the courageous Simone Veil who inspires such admiration. A life devoted to others, to compassion, equality and justice deeply resonates with her. Ever-present in their thoughts, these inspiring women from the past became the ones who would pass the torch to the next generation. Then, almost instinctively, another Simone stepped into the spotlight.
Simone Signoret.
As though she were the missing piece. An Academy Award- and César-winning actress, she became an outspoken voice of her generation, refusing, among other things, to conform to the glamour that was expected of women in the public eye.
And so, the trio “Les Simone” was born.
THE ARTIST
Justine Coquidé
To create and express their feminist convictions through art, they called upon the artist Justine Coquidé. Using collage, Justine Coquidé typically evokes, through her work, a liberated vision of the 21st-century woman. Works sometimes forgotten by art history resurface and reveal a new identity more in tune with the codes of our generation. The goddess Venus, a symbol of femininity, is
often exploited by the artist, allowing him to assume a new freedom of expression and new demands.
For the artist, the "Les Simone" project immediately made sense. To bring this beautiful story to life, the first
The artistic reference was Botticelli's Three Graces. After some research, it was James Pradier's interpretation, exhibited at the Louvre Museum, that gave the project its full dimension .
To create and express their feminist convictions through art, they called upon the artist Justine Coquidé. Using collage, Justine Coquidé typically evokes, through her work, a liberated vision of the 21st-century woman. Works sometimes forgotten by art history resurface and reveal a new identity more in tune with the codes of our generation. The goddess Venus, a symbol of femininity, is
often exploited by the artist, allowing him to assume a new freedom of expression and new demands.
For the artist, the "Les Simone" project immediately made sense. To bring this beautiful story to life, the first
The artistic reference was Botticelli's Three Graces. After some research, it was James Pradier's interpretation, exhibited at the Louvre Museum, that gave the project its full dimension .
To create and express their feminist convictions through art, they called upon the artist Justine Coquidé. Using collage, Justine Coquidé typically evokes, through her work, a liberated vision of the 21st-century woman. Works sometimes forgotten by art history resurface and reveal a new identity more in tune with the codes of our generation. The goddess Venus, a symbol of femininity, is
often exploited by the artist, allowing him to assume a new freedom of expression and new demands.
For the artist, the "Les Simone" project immediately made sense. To bring this beautiful story to life, the first
The artistic reference was Botticelli's Three Graces. After some research, it was James Pradier's interpretation, exhibited at the Louvre Museum, that gave the project its full dimension .
The Three Graces, known as the Charites in Greek mythology, goddesses of charm, beauty, and creativity, are said to bestow upon humankind virtues such as even temper, grace, eloquence, wisdom, and gratitude. Furthermore, these deities are considered benevolent and embody all that is pleasing to humankind. The values are shared, the connection undeniable. The artist Justine Coquidé merges the personalities and histories of the three women named Simone through these Graces. The sculpture transcends time to rediscover its identity and find itself reflected in these three women who left their mark on the 20th century. In homage to them, we find the identifiable attributes of their personalities and their stories. Each gaze is carefully staged and illuminated, reflecting their eternal essence.
As if "the Simones" were still watching over us, like deities.
