Through the panel discussions that punctuated this meeting, the common thread of mountains undergoing renewal was drawn from Aubervilliers to examine the transitions of these unique territories, inviting those who live, inhabit, develop, and imagine the mountains today. These discussions provided an opportunity to examine representations of mountains and the role of sensory perception and imagination in land use planning.

These discussions create a shared space for networking and experimentation on the habitability of mountain regions and the role of culture as a catalyst for change. The aim is to reinvent heritage, shift perspectives, and introduce creative and sensitive ways of thinking about and living in these spaces.

Bridging art, ecology, and urban planning, this day marks the first major event for the research group that Manifesto has led since 2023. This group, which includes William Saadé, curator of the Palais Lumière in Evian, Patrice Chazottes, former director of the Clermont-Ferrand 2028 bid, and Clarissa Pelino, an urban planner, focuses on the role of culture and artists in the transitions of mountain and rural areas.

Agenda of the meeting :

Opening and Closing remarks by Laure Colliex, Co-founder of Manifesto and POUSH, and CEO of Manifesto

General Introduction by Stéphane Cordobes, General Director of the Clermont Massif Central urban planning agency

1. Telling the Story of the Mountains

How have artists represented and told the story of the mountains over the centuries? How have these narratives and representations shaped our perception of the mountains, and even their development as a distinct space? What new stories do we want to invent to think about and tell the story of the mountains of tomorrow?

With:

David Zerbib, philosopher and research professor at the École Supérieure d'Art Annecy Alpes and HEAD Geneva

Ariane Brioist, Head of valorization for the Design des territoires (Design of Territories) program at ENSAD

Alice Bertrand, textile designer and resident of the ENSAD "Design des mondes montagneux" (Design of Mountainous Worlds) program

Moderator: Patrice Chazottes, former General Director of the Clermont-Ferrand Massif Central 2028 association

2. Inhabiting the Mountains

How do we currently inhabit and develop the unique territories of the mountains? What new imaginations can we build to make them desirable and livable for those who reside there? What role can art, culture, and artists play in these transitions?

With:

Céline Saint-Martin, Director of Scènes Obliques

Fiona Mille, President of Mountain Wilderness

Rémy Cointet and Emmanuelle Valersteinas, Project Directors at Snøhetta Paris

Moderator: Marianne Carre, Project Manager at Manifesto

3. About the Exhibition

"I go to the mountains because that's where the edge of the earth is." Drawing on a quote from Erri de Luca's Impossible, Le bord de la terre offers a sensory journey of a mountain ascent—a progression to the very edge. Each chapter acts as a vehicle-landscape that isn't an end point but a support for admiration, reflection, and curiosity. Where the earth rises and everything is ready to tip over, what will be the perspective of the artists?

With:

Julia Gault, artist from the exhibition

Antonin Detemple, artist from the exhibition

Moderators: Simon Jung, Inès Massonie, and Jeanne de La Masselière, co-curators of the exhibition Le Bord de la terre