Autres activités

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Comité d’Organisation : Annick Cressens, Dominique Lemaire, Renée Vibert-Vallet, Fréderic Blanc-Mappaz, Jean-Pierre Philippe et Gilles De Broucker.

En écho à l'exposition “Un art des pierres” 2011 au Cap Fréhel, la première exposition de pierres naturelles au pays de Galles. Conçue et réalisée par Marc Lucas, cette exposition de pierres naturelles se présente à côté du paysage même où les pierres ont été choisies.

Diaporama de l'exposition

Geomnis is a non lucrative association. It is located in Mines ParisTech. At the national and international level,

Geomnis manages Mines ParisTech's projects:

• it applies Mines ParisTech's principle “theory and practice” by linking both research and teaching skills to the local actors as far as concrete projects are concerned;
• it implements in an innovative way one of Mines ParisTech's main knowledge, geosciences, in their close links altogether with biodiversity and human activities;
• it implements Mines ParisTech's cross-cultural training programme on various geographical fields: complexity global approach to reach a territory as a WHOLE.

Geomnis suggests to take a different outlook at our territories and:

• it develops in concrete terms the cohesion between biodiversity, geology and human activities on a given territory;
• it makes the public (from very young to oldest people) aware and develops an innovative research through “cross view exchanges” between local and scientific knowledge;
• it offers the inhabitants and the visitors to valorise a territory in order for them to discover it as a natural, historic and cultural heritage (often they tend to cut off from one another)
• it creates an “art in natural stones” (this kind of approach has never happened before).

• Geofestival® “La Bretagne de grès rose” (“Brittany Red Sandstone”), 2009-2010, Côtes d'Armor, France
• “Littoral biodiversity/geology Links”, 25th & 26th June 2011, Cap Fréhel, Brittany, France
• Exhibition & lecture “Art in natural stones”, in cooperation with the Unesco Geopark of Brecon Beacons, Wales (from 21st May to September 2011), Great Britain
• The Beaufortain Alpine Geofestival® 17th & 18th September 2011, France
• Development of the mineral spring Plancoët, 2011-2015, France (Nestlé Waters)
• Project of “Terres de France”: invitation of the Japanese artist Hushei Masado, October 2011
• Geofestival® Fontainebleau - Gâtinais (cooperation with Unesco Reserve of Biosphere) 5th April 2011-June 2012, France
• Nature Contract, with Breton Regional Council: university research program “Man, biodiversity and geology”, 2011-2015
• Special advanced diploma awarded 'Tourism & natural, historical & cultural heritage”, in collaboration with CNAM & the Château de Fontainebleau (UNESCO), to be created at end of 2012
• European Excellence Network under creation, 2012: “What is environment?”
• Cooperation with Russia: initiative forum for environment INTERRA, March 2012

This specific action in Mid Wales is the first international reference of Geomnis.

The ground, the land, the soil with its geology structures the landscapes, conditions the biodiversity and the human activities. Taking in consideration the ground is then important

• to think the management of a territory, a province, a country ;
• to increase tourism through a different and new outlook ;
• to invite inhabitants and visitors to appropriate, then valorize a territory by themselves ;
• to show that a territory is a heritage and that this heritage is ONE as a whole with its different dimensions (natural, historical and cultural). These 3 dimensions are always separated in western countries.

But mineral matterns are NOT « seen » in western countries. It is a mistake to consider in a right way the environment. Geomnis tries to explain the close link between the human activities, the biodiversity and the ground with its geology. It is essential to think the environment. Otherwise many things are said, but no significant developments are done. It is the present situation. Geomnis explains also with history why the western countries have so hard difficulties in that matter.

Our vision of nature is cultural. It is then interesting to compare different cultures. It helps us to become aware that it is possible to look differently at nature and to imagine an other relationship between man and the world. Geomnis develops a cross-cultural approach to environment in France, Great Britain, soon new countries in Europe, China, Japan and Russia. It is often said that the anglo-saxon cultures present an specific outlook to living and mineral matters. The Fforest Fawr Geopark (Unseco label) belongs to the Brecon Beacons National Park. It is located in Mid Wales. The geopark is an excellent partner to develop a concretely a common project to encourage British and French exchanges on this subject.

Sciences are important to give true informations to all publics. But they have a limited influence because our outlook is related to very deep cultural foundations. If we want to develop a new appoach to valorize, respect, preserve and transmit a heritage which is natural, historical and cultural, it is necessary to deal with emotions, imagination, it means art. For this reason, Geomnis has created « an art in natural stone ». This experience is unique in western countries. There are presently two on-going exhibitions in Great Britain and in France.

Since 2009, Geomnis develops a project with the Breton Regional Council and all local authorities in order to initiate the actors (institutions, companies, inhabitants) to this approach. An exhibition is presented for one year in the lighthouse Cap Fréhel (800 000 visitors per year). This experience allows us to present a similar exhibition both in the Forestry Commission Centre and the Waterfalls Centre within the Fforest Fawr Geopark. They will stay during the summer 2011 and perhaps during all the following winter period.

Marc Lucas’talk took place in the Museum of Brecon (Powys County) in June 2011 as the inaugural ceremony of the « Geofortnight » organized each year by the Geopark.

© Marc Lucas 2011

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