Issue 8, Plus Connect

Samuel Bégis

Evoking a sense of dynamic progression

Words DIMITRI ZÉPHIR

Photography CELIA SPENARD-KO

Samuel Bégis, with a rich background in fine arts and design, creates immersive environments that go beyond simple scenery, transforming spaces into narrative landscapes. The elegance of his work lies in its ability to evoke a sense of dynamic progression, guiding the eye and spirit through an ever-evolving panorama of artistic expression. As a set designer, Bégis not only constructs the physical world but also choreographs the intangible, rendering the invisible palpable in his stunning tableaux.

DIMITRI ZÉPHIR: Let’s begin with your earlier days and the transitions in your path to becoming a set designer.

SAMUEL BÉGIS: I grew up navigating between two distinct yet intertwined worlds. On one side, there were sports, which offered me their educational aspects; on the other, there were the fine arts, architecture, and inventions – with a capital “I.” For a long time, sports dominated, guiding me toward a general education geared toward aspiring teachers. Despite the daily physical activity and constant movement through space, I still felt something was missing. Memories of my grandfather’s workshop lingered with me closely. His oil paint, the loom, and clay waiting to be sculpted, or even that large tilted desk he had adorned with a detailed map of France’s roads. I wanted to create things with my own hands and explore the world. The common thread between sports and artistic pursuits, particularly in set design, is movement—the motion of the body in a given space. A body dances in space in a similar manner as a visitor wanders through a set. It became clear that I needed to change direction in my studies. During that time, I switched back and forth between traveling and learning. This path deeply inspired me to become a set designer: places, people you encounter, and finally, the creations you build there.

DZ: Can you share the story behind your first significant project?

SB: I studied interior architecture mainly because I didn’t know any schools dedicated explicitly to scenography. Despite this, my work consistently leaned more towards scenography than interior design. I worked on bringing a fashion show to life and got to explore the various challenges that a scenographer faces. One of the primary challenges was striking the right balance between pushing creative boundaries philosophically and ensuring technical feasibility. It was crucial to translate abstract ideas into a functional experience for real-time audiences. This project introduced me to the core challenge of scenography: serving the creator—here, the fashion designers—while creating a compelling and accessible experience for the audience. Scenography has to be present and evident yet not overpowering. The sets created for Jacquemus with Till Duca, as well as the Autumn/Winter 2019-2020 show, created in collaboration with Bureau Betak, are good examples of this. Fast-forward to 2024, the table created for the LOEWE dinner with Balbosté stands out as a signature piece. This particular project beautifully encapsulates my passion—a handcrafted creation that borders on art yet still serves a brand and its universe, making it a fitting reference point for my work.

DZ: How do you typically break down and approach a project? Additionally, how do you balance the client’s vision with your creative input?

SB: The context serves as the foundation for almost all of my projects. It can be defined by a place, an era, or even a material. For instance, when I worked on the scenography for L’Artisan Parfumeur in April, the theme was “woods.” The imagery and the smell of the undergrowth, the dampness of the soil, and the filtered light passing through the tree’s foliage came to my mind. I quickly documented these ideas and searched for materials that could effectively visualize and unfold the story I envisioned. In this particular project, the client gave me the freedom to explore the concept of the forest, allowing me to creatively interpret and design the scenography while staying true to the overall theme provided by the client. It was a similar situation with the scenography created for Alvaro Barrington in the fall of 2023 at the Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery. On the other hand, a client like Jacquemus comes with very clear, almost finished ideas, minimizing the creator’s role to some extent. Over time, I’ve found greater excitement in integrating both the creative process and its execution. In my experience, one without the other can feel simultaneously less fulfilling and less efficient.

DZ: Ideas can flow and take shape from various aspects of our surroundings and sensory experiences, whether with complete creative freedom or not. For you, what pushes or drives the boundaries of your creative vision?

SB: Since childhood, I’ve always been on the move, touching and exploring everything around me. I find inspiration and energy from the diversity of experiences, and I’ve never been one to stick to just one thing for too long—I prefer to dive into many different experiences. This has its pros and cons; it allows me to dabble in various practices and pick them up fairly quickly, but sometimes it prevents me from fully embracing one field and becoming a specialist in it.

Also, I travel a lot, mostly in a van with my partner and child. We sleep in it, waking up to a new panorama every day. The smells, the light, the weather, the people we encounter—everything changes and adds to our minds. Choosing is discovering, and staying in one place for a night lets us really soak in the local vibe. The van is perfect for this, as it keeps us close to the elements. Where the walls of a hotel would separate us from the environment, the confined space of the van forces us to stay outside as much as possible. When we settle somewhere, we give up what’s beyond, but we fully embrace what’s in front of us. All these experiences feed my mind and constantly influence the stories I want to tell through my work.