On the occasion of International Women's Day, March 8, 2023, Snap's AR Studio in Paris is honoring 8 emblematic women in 8 major French cities (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, Strasbourg, Metz, and Nantes) through a unique augmented reality experience: 8th of March, 8 women.
While just as many women as men have changed the course of French history, the vast majority of sculptures in French urban spaces (squares, gardens, and streets) only honor male figures. Snap's AR Studio has thus imagined AR statues of women who have left their mark on French history in the politics, arts, philosophy and military fields. These AR statues are installed next to the physical statues of their male counterparts, honoring the achievements of these great women and celebrating their contributions to women's rights and condition in the French society.
8th of March, 8 women
The AR experience 8th of March, 8 women will be available from March 8, 2023, and will feature the following important female figures in French history:
Simone Veil: Champion of women’s rights, emblem of the 1975 law that legalized abortion, and the first female president of the European Parliament. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of General Charles de Gaulle on the Champs-Elysées roundabout in Paris.
Simone de Beauvoir: An acclaimed writer and philosopher of the existentialist movement. As an anti-conformist, she advocated for the emancipation of women in her writings, such as her 1949 book The Second Sex, and became one of the pioneers of French feminism in the 20th century. Her augmented reality statue will be placed next to the physical one of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry at Place Bellecour in Lyon.
Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun: Admitted to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1783 and the official painter to Marie Antoinette, she achieved critical and popular success in the artistic world despite the many obstacles facing female artists of her time. Her augmented reality statue will be placed next to the physical one of Pierre Puget in the Parc Borély in Marseille.
Françoise de Graffigny: One of the most emblematic female figures of 18th century French literature, best known for her philosophical essay Letters from a Peruvian Woman published in 1747. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of Montesquieu at Place des Quinconces in Bordeaux.
Manon Tardon: Figure of the French Resistance and Free France, she was present on May 8, 1945, in Berlin when the surrender of Nazi Germany was signed. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque at Square Amiral Halgan in Nantes.
Josephine Baker: An American-born singer, actress, feminist, showgirl, and French resistance fighter, Josephine Baker was a spy for the Free French Forces, an emblem of the Paris of the Roaring Twenties, and an influential figure in the fight against racial segregation. Her augmented reality statue will be placed next to the physical one of Jean Moulin at Gare Centrale in Metz.
Olympe de Gouges: Principal author of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Citizen published in 1791, she is considered one of the French pioneers of feminism. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of Jean-Baptiste Kléber at Place Kléber in Strasbourg.
Hubertine Auclert: Journalist, feminist activist, and founder of the society Le droit des femmes (ie: Women's rights society) in 1876, she advocated for women's economic independence, the right to education, and equality in marriage and divorce. Her augmented reality statue will be positioned next to the physical one of Léon Trulin at Place du Théâtre, not far from the Lille Opera.
To design this augmented reality experience, a team dedicated to the project within AR Studio Paris, including a female 3D artist and a female AR engineer, conceived, sculpted the statues and developed the interactivity, in order to bring these augmented reality experiences to life and offer representations of these women as close to reality as possible.
"Through this innovative experience installed in 8 cities in France, we want to pay tribute to 8 women who have changed French history and society through their actions, their writings, or their positions. Thanks to Snap's augmented reality technologies, we were able to celebrate those 8 women by building their statues in the public space and placing them alongside statues of men. By establishing a silent dialogue between these historical figures, our wish is to raise public awareness of the fight for women's rights." — Donatien Bozon, AR Studio Director.
How to activate the Lens :
Snapchatters and visitors on site will be able to trigger the Lens from 8 March 2023 by following the steps below:
Go to your desired location and stand in front of the physical statue.
Open the Snapchat application.
Launch the 8th of March, 8 women Lens, available in the carousel.
Point your smartphone at the statue.
The augmented reality statue will appear in real size next to the physical one.
Share with your close friends via Snap, post on your Story, or on Spotlight.
Snapchatters can also see a miniature version of the statues by scanning the below QR Codes: