From digital design to casting, carpentry, and forging, students at the Châlons-en-Champagne campus pooled their skills to bring to life a Clé d’Ex that combines precision, craftsmanship, and medieval aesthetics.
Created in 1895 in Cluny, the Clé d’Ex is inspired by the traditions of the Compagnons du Devoir, where students create a masterpiece to demonstrate their skills. Originally made of wood and crafted in secret, over time it has become an iconic symbol of life at Gadz’Arts. It marks the end of training and embodies the transmission between graduating classes, "closing the door" on one chapter to open another. Shared at class reunions, passed on, honored, and finally exhibited at the Musée des Arts et Métiers Paris in memory of the graduating class, this key follows the Gadz'Arts throughout their journey.
A key inspired by the Middle Ages
After several years without producing a Clé d'Ex (the last ones dating back to the 2012 and 2021 graduating classes), the students at the Châlons-en-Champagne campus thought big. Standing 1.97 meters tall, the height of the tallest student in the class, and weighing 50 kilograms, the 2023 class's Clé d'Ex required nearly 2,000 hours of work, including 200 hours of design, mobilizing around 40 students since January. The entire design was created by Quentin Galy, a student in the class, who also took charge of most of the construction.
Inspired by the medieval theme of their end-of-year gala, it incorporates a miniature cathedral, architectural lighting, and illuminated stained glass windows. The three twists winding around the stained glass window recall the three years of teaching at Arts et Métiers, during which the fraternity of the class is forged. It is also the second in nearly 30 years to be completed in time for the Exance, which symbolizes the end of their studies on the Châlons-en-Champagne campus.
Expertise in the spotlight
The materials used highlight the diversity of skills employed by the students: oak and walnut for the wooden elements, forged steel for the twists, aluminum and stainless steel for the machined parts. Foundry work is also highlighted with the use of brass, donated by Lebronze alloys, a campus sponsor, and zamak, supplied by Fonderie Roger. The foundry models were produced using 3D printing. The central stained-glass window is made of acrylic tubes illuminated by LED strips: this key is only the second in history to incorporate an electrical device, the first having been made in the 1980s. This lighting system highlights the stained-glass windows decorated with the nicknames and numbers of the students of the class of 2023.
A collective commitment
Throughout the project, students were able to count on the support of campus technicians. Dominique Dufossé and Sébastien Lepretre in the machine shop, Joël Dlevaque in the forge, Thierry Undreiner in the digital machining of the cathedral columns, Éric Davesne and Cédric Mathieu in the foundry, Renaud Gaignierre in the carpentry shop, not to mention the help of two students from the Bordeaux campus who cut the base plates.
The class of 2023 would like to thank everyone involved in this project, as well as Giovanni Radilla, campus director, who made this project possible.
This Clé d’Ex reflects the commitment, expertise, and solidarity that unite the Gadz’Arts.
Congratulations to Alexis Bardinet, Quentin Galy, Ambre Eugène, Sacha Kaczorek, Antoine Daniel, Axel Ganne, David Kosiorowski, Théo Peltier, Julien Calvez, Alexandre Fortin, Célia Qin-Savoie, accompanied by the Ch223 class, for their achievement!
