« palmania »

After decades of disrespectful treatment, city planning has become much more an issue of public concern. Nevertheless, the built environment still suffers from sheer financial and speculative interests; the ecological balance is precious and the survival of several species is threatened as never before.

To compensate for the disappearance of natural habitats, large cities compete with one another to build botanical gardens and greenhouses for the public; enjoyment, naturally, but also as a way to obscure the extent to which natural spaces are disappearing from our planet.

In a series of six digital photocollages, called « palmania », new buildings or agricultural and chemical factories contrast with a beautifully designed palm leaf. By using this structurally simple defined plant, I try to demonstrate, on one hand, the fragile interdependance between nature and culture, on the other hand, the "natural" contradiction betweeen the organic and inorganic. As an artist, I try to develop this message through clear aesthetic language combined with pleasing images.

Most of the photos were shot during a trip to Western Canada, in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. As for the palm leaf and the metal structure used in the first collage, both are from Phoenix Park in Nice, France. The series title, « palmania », stems from the repetitive use of the same leaf.

Zen-like, the strong presence of the plant reminds us that nature should never be overlooked when environment is altered or when natural resources are exploited.