Founded in 2013, the Parisian creative studio Golgotha inhabits the worlds of fashion, art, and music with aesthetics inspired by the rise of digital media, video games, blockbuster movies, and the democratization of the internet. From 3D graphics to video production, immersive installations to stunning logotypes, the trio has worked with clients such as Nike, Moncler, Cartier, and more. The studio consists of Guillaume Hugon, Marvin De Deus Ganhitas and Antoine Aillot, all of whom graduated together at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Paris.
1.
INFERNO BY ALKPOTE
As graphic designers and visual form-makers, we love the power of pictures. We love when musicians of all genres use their music to take us on a visual journey, and Alkpote succeeds at this brilliantly through the use of strong visual ideas and highly explicit language. Well known for his use of gross language, he also has the honor of having the all-time highest word count on an album among all French artists of any genre. Listening to one of his songs is like entering a thrilling ghost-train roller coaster, forcing our eyes and the ears wide open.
2.
BALENCIAGA CATWALK VIDEO INSTALLATION BY JON RAFMAN
This event (we were not invited) was so crazy in terms of immersion and how it pushed the fashion boundaries through digital and nostalgic references. Game changing.
3.
AYA NAKAMURA
Aya Nakamura may be the singer I dream the most about working with. She represents the epic return of French R&B, and it’s so good to have a woman at the forefront of the plethora of rappers who are super popular today.
4.
LA HORDE DU CONTREVENT BY ALAIN DAMASIO
Just read it.
5.
LAST MAN
Besides being super visually impressive, Last Man on Netflix allowed us to rediscover—a bit later, certainly—the original French comics of the same name. Adapted from the brilliant manga of B. Vivès, Balak, and M. Sanlaville, this animated series stacks up nicely against the most beautiful Japanese anime! And that might be part of the point of this adaptation. We understand our work—perhaps—as a way of highlighting the fluidity between cultures and creative influences, which a whole generation has grown up completely comfortable with, thanks to adventurous creators and artists.
6.
READY PLAYER ONE
The true definition of visual entertainment.
7.
SKYRIM & RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
Though we haven’t had time to play it yet, we’re really excited about Red Dead Redemption 2, which seems to have quickly cemented a permanent position in the pantheon of video games. We can’t wait to test it and live this experience of such an open world where all the choices seem to belong to us. This year we also discovered Skyrim with its adaptation on Switch, and the game blew us away! With this game, each of us lived her own experience which was truly unique. It’s crazy! Our studio and the aesthetic we develop through projects owes a lot to video games; it’s a real source of inspiration. That’s why, beyond pleasure, we continue to play.
8.
THE YELLOW VEST PROTEST
From two centuries ago to now, protests and riots have always been a part of the DNA of France’s social environment. The Yellow Vest Protest(s) that are occurring as we write this are channeling a rising anger in our country. No one knows what will come next, and the protestors’ strategies are growing bolder day by day.
As a Parisian creative studio, we can’t unsee what is happening in our streets and in our country every day. Even if our work is not at all ostensibly politically engaged, and even if we deliberately don’t include political issues in our practice, we still believe, as director Costa Gavras points out, that every piece of art is political, whether you want it to be or not. We also believe that these protests are part of a recurring cycle, as in Nietzsche’s “eternal return.” So even if the protestors demands are not completely defined right now, we trust the impulse, and know that politics will always catch up with us.
9.
FRANCE WINS THE WORLD CUP
This is may be the only thing that could bring our entire country together. People from all backgrounds, all classes, and all professions shared the same joy. It was so beautiful to see the same intensity that fueled the revolts in the streets, channeled into a mass celebration of love. This was the true victory for this night.
10.
THE RISE OF TIK TOK
This is simply mad next level.
11.
BOOBA/KAARIS AEROFIGHT
This year, one of our clients—Booba, one of the most famous French hip-hop artists—was arrested and sent to jail for brawling with a rival rapper in Paris’s Orly international airport. The event was filmed and instantly went viral. We had previously directed a videoclip for Booba for a track called “Elephant,” which was incredibly different than his usual videos. His hardcore fanbase hated the video, and an “Elephant-bashing” trend appeared on social media and in specialized press, inevitably convincing the artist to permanently delete the clip from his YouTube channel. As huge fans of Booba, we went from an intense state of joy to a deep questioning of our own skills … His current state of incarceration only compounds that ambiguity.
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