Art and materials according to Mihaly

The Parisian Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac offers tours, suitable for the disabled and the visually impaired, presenting the broad geographic area from which the museum’s collection originates. Set on furniture covered in leather, in an organic shape, this space called the “river” brings together text in Braille, tactile relief and screens adapted to various disabilities.

Since early January, four tactile elements created by start-up Mihaly have been visible there. Consisting of UV polymer directly deposited on a 70 x 40cm aluminum plate, these high-resolution multi-colored 3D elements are reproductions of materials and objects reinterpreted to meet universal accessibility (vision, visually impaired and visually impaired) in museums.
They represent Iranian ceramic wall tiles from the 19th century, painted bison skins from the 18th century (America), painted leather shadow figures from the 18th century (China), and beaded leather and glass bags from the early 19th century. 20 (Nigeria).

“We make works accessible and thereby participate in the popularization of art and culture. This technology also makes it possible to display objects that are too fragile to touch or be exposed to the public and light. ”, explains Jean-Marie Campiglia, one of the three founders of Mihaly.

Homemade tools

Reproductions made using Surface 3D technology. This process, whose name the start-up invented, is a high-resolution multi-material, multi-color additive manufacturing technology that ensures color stability and extremely high geometric 3D precision. That makes it possible to handle digital production on demand, from units to industrial series from small to large formats up to 3m². “We have developed our own scanner, currently in the advanced prototype stage, as we have yet to find one on the market that will allow us to scan large paintings and wall surfaces. A large cosmetics group, for example, asked us to scan fabric to affix to cases. Nothing can offer us a scanner that can simultaneously capture the surface, material and color of the fabric to be scanned while being easily transportable and at high resolution. So we designed it ourselves”, determined the founder Mihaly. They can then easily manage the digital files and modify the colors according to the project’s wishes and needs. Finally came printing done on 3-axis flatbed 2D printers that have been adapted to handle different materials.

The pieces on display at Quai Branly are part of a patronage sponsored by Italian eyewear manufacturer Luxottica. “ Thanks to our technology, sponsors can contribute to cultural mediation in museums, with real social impact.t”, specify the co-founder of the start-up.

Located in the heart of the optical institute and near the main R&D center on the plateau of Saclay, Mihaly was founded in 2020. It is the result of the experience of its three founders, Jean-Marie Campiglia, Christophe Leynadier and Frédéric Vauchel-Durel, specializing in 3D technology and additive manufacturing and bypassing the R&D departments of companies such as Matra, Dassault and Danone. Its mission: to develop industrial solutions to produce customizable decorative elements in 3D with high aesthetic added value.

“Thanks to Surface 3D, we are exploring markets ranging from product decoration for the luxury industry to interior decoration, including applications for the aviation industry.”, note the start-up leaders.

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