Calanques Program

2018

In January 2018, the Calanques National Park, OSU Pythéas Institute (Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IRD) and the Camargo Foundation—together with landscape architect Gilles Clément—invited eight international artists to reflect upon the human/nature relationship within the context of the only urban national park in Europe. During five weeks, eight unique visions were inspired by exchanges with the territory and those that live and work within it: researchers, park officers, and the inhabitants of the area.

Each artist, through the help of local specialists, explored different topics, such as the universe of jellyfish (Shanta Rao); our relationship to plants and the knowledge that we have of them (Lisa Hirmer); underwater landscapes and how these can be revealed (Nicolas Floc’h); the multiple borders of the National Park (urban, maritime, roads and pathways…) (Franck Gérard); the way in which the cracks and marks within the rocks form a language (Katie Holten); how traces of our everyday existence can become an archaeology (João Modé); the use of scientific equipment to study the exchanges between a tree and its environment (Julien Clauss); receiving the public and how this can influence the integration of nature into an urban setting, and the possibilities of architectural creativity with creating a space that will evolve through multiple uses and biodiversity protection (Ryo Abe).

This residency gave rise to the exhibition Calanques, territoire de sciences, source d'inspiration at Frac Sud in 2018. Some of the projects lead during the residency have been continued such as with Ryo Abe and his project Approaches, Nicolas Floc'h with Invisible, and Franck Gérard with Aux Frontières.