Le Bourget is also the “Paris Art Show”

At Le Bourget, Gerald Ferrand wore two hats; seller of Thales solutions and ‘artist’ in the chalet were the company welcomed clients, partners and the media. For this commercial specialist in solutions on the A400M and the Rafale amongst other platforms, it is a double role that he assumes year-round.

“It was a great experience” adds Gerald, who will also be displaying other canvases at a show closer to his Bordeaux home after the summer. “I think the paintings added something to the chalet, and I’m very happy that they were appreciated by the visitors. It was very nice to combine my two passions, even though my goal at Le Bourget was of course to sell our technology to our clients rather than my paintings!”

The story began at last year’s Farnborough Air Show where Gerald was once again representing the company. He suggested to the Group’s Exhibitions and Events team that it might be a good idea to work together on a more personalized decor for the next Paris Air Show. After looking at some of Gerald’s previous creations, the team agreed.

In any case, his style – which entails a number of recurring symbols and forms coupled with more serendipitous ‘action’ elements – needs to be produced almost as a ‘one shot’. “The most interesting part of the project was respecting the colour scheme,” he points out, “and this for one simple reason – I’m colour-blind!”