Using the title "Water, Air, Earth: The Wisdom of the Gardener," this biennial reminds us of our shared destiny and the need to act together. As Gilles Clément, theorist and practitioner of the Planetary Garden, states: "We are responsible for all living systems just as a gardener is responsible for the species he or she masters. Beyond the metaphor, the garden refers to a collective representation of the world." Through the questions and the answers on the fragility of the planet, the scientific community raises our awareness of collective responsibilities. So do the artists. This is clearly demonstrated by the twenty artists present in Melle, who, in their projects, designed specifically or through existing works, accurately explore the vital questions that concern us today: water quality, consumption, use, sharing, air quality, greenhouse gases, climate change, reforestation, the economy, immigration, the protection of biodiversity, our consumption patterns, and precariousness.

Artists : Gilles Clément, Knud Viktor, Erik Samakh, Soussan LTD – Le musée des nuages, Adel Abdessemed, Michael Dans, IngridMwangiRobertHutter, Laurie-Anne Estaque, Pascale Gadon, Herman de Vries, Franck Gérard, Claude Pauquet, Bertrand Gadenne, Andy Goldsworthy, Giuseppe Penone, Joseph Beuys, Ha Cha Youn; writers : François Bon, Jacques Roubaud; musicians : Jean-Pierre Courjaud, Dominique Pichon.

(Source: press release)