Pace Notes17 Images
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There is a certain poetry in decaying machinery. Rusted steel panels, cracked enamel paint and abandoned engines, once symbols of reinvention, are now remnants of a world that has been left behind. In a new shoot titled Pace Notes, that cycle is reimagined, drawing from the remains of derelict rally cars to uncover something human beneath the ruins.
Shot and creative directed by photographer Maxime Ballesteros, with Angel Velluto on board as co-creative director,Pace Notes is inspired by the scattered relics of farm and motor machinery left to rust in remote landscapes. The shoot explores how nature reclaims and softens the line between the mechanical and the organic. Resembling a car crash, the models, all ballet dancers, are body painted by artist Janina Zais to mirror the peeling lacquer, metallic colours and bold graphic markings of rally cars – their contorted bodies draped over car frames and across roadside ditches.
“I grew up in an area where derelict farm machinery and cars were often left on the sides of the road. I always loved how the changing seasons created new colour combinations with the deteriorating paintwork,”says Velluto. “Working with dancers helped us recreate the residual drama of the original crash and humanise the abandonment of the machines.”
Shot on the industrial outskirts of Marseille, in dusty roadsides and car workshops, the shoot speaks to the way industry arrives in rural spaces, strips the land of its simplicity, and is eventually left behind to corrode before being reabsorbed into the earth.Here, the creative team discuss their influences, shooting in Marseille, and how body paint helped to transform the human form into the machine.
We all know too much about each other
How did the use of full body paint contribute to the illusion of transformation?
Janina Zais: The body painting mainly supported the dancers’ movements. It wasn’t about creating a perfect illusion of a car wreck but rather about imitating its forms and structures through the human body. The dancers positioned themselves in fluid, organic movements, making their bodies appear intertwined like pieces of wreckage. Sometimes they looked almost sculptural, other times like a frozen moment in motion.
What made it interesting was how the body merged with the idea of a wreck without losing its human essence. It was more of an interpretation than a replication, a blend of dance, form and colour.
Could you tell us about the choice for the body paint designs?
Janina Zais: The colours and patterns were inspired by motorsport aesthetics but with an artistic approach. What made it really special was how the body paintings interacted with the locations. We shot in remote natural spots and inside a car workshop for rally cars, mostly old rally sport car wrecks. The contrast between the human form, bold colours, and the environment made everything feel even more dynamic. The idea wasn’t about directly replicating cars but more about capturing the essence of speed, energy, and design in an artistic, sculptural way.
It feels as if the models are extensions of the car ruins. What does this say about our relationship with the industrial world?
Maxime Ballesteros: Yes, that’s right. Maybe in a world where we have become so dependent on, admiring of, and obsessed with industrialisation and technology, we would lose our primal identity. We become a product ourselves and live on as such. Proud of the wreck we created with our own hands over centuries of hard work and an insatiable thirst for what we define as progress. Anxiously waiting for the next novelty, immobile, blind to our surroundings.
How did working with dancers as models influence the composition of the shots?
Maxime Ballesteros: I love working with dancers and performers. It’s obvious, but the fact that they are hyper-aware of their body in a non-narcissistic way brings a new language to the set. It’s a different way of working as well. I tend to direct dancers a lot less but instead talk to them about an idea for a scene, a frame, or a prop I would like to incorporate. Then I see how they interpret it with their bodies, how they connect, playing with the ideas and movements coming from their own skill set.
It’s extremely collaborative. We were also very lucky to work with Alida, Nina and Amy, who practise together every single day, creating this total symbiosis between them. They know each other’s bodies by heart, each other’s strengths, and a glance is enough to choreograph a whole scene.
concept Angel Velluto, creative direction Maxime Ballesteros and Angel Velluto photography Maxime Ballesteros,body paint and beauty Janina Zais, body paint and photo assistant Sarah Little, beauty and body paint assistants Kevyn Charo and Dhia Alicia Little, talent Nina Laura, Amy Lim, Alida Maria
