Les carnets du paysage, varia
“Let’s listen to the world as to a vast musical piece – a piece of which we are the composers.” R. Murray Schafer
This beautiful quote could be the motto of “Les Carnets du paysage”, one of the main French publications on the notion of landscape. Created in 1998 by the École nationale supérieure de paysage de Versailles (ENSP) and co-published by Actes Sud, it now counts 28 issues. ENSP and publication director Vincent Piveteau entrusted the editorial board to editors in chief Jean-Marc Besse and Gilles A. Tiberghien, who have surrounded themselves with an editorial staff and an international scientific committee composed of professionals with various qualifications and different backgrounds: landscapers, geographers, architects, historians, gardeners, town planners, etc… These square-shaped magazines are filled with color illustrations.
Just like issue 28, Le musical, and issue 11, Les Cheminements, April issue 29, which is dedicated to waste, offers an opportunity to experience this sensitive, intellectual publication committed to contemplating the notion of landscape in unexpected and innovative ways. In times of climate and ecological changes, the publication attempts to project the landscape into the future. Issue 25, Nourritures, demonstrated how our food habits impacted the landscape, and the 17th issue pondered upcoming environmental challenges. We, as humans, are part of the landscape and therefore constantly shape it.
The publication reflects on the notion of landscape and creates an interdisciplinary dialogue between botany, cartography, ecology, art and many other fields. It explores in depth the creations, the ideas, and the projects on landscape from all over the world. It compares views and promotes a dialogue between people with different backgrounds, expertise, and practices through literature, art, etc… Issue 15, Bord à bord, is a good illustration of this editorial strategy: it gathers texts written by artists, intellectuals and writers, who reflect and take action because the identity of the landscape relates to nature, space, customs, and “la poétique des formes” (the poetics of forms). The issue shows how research and practices on the landscape have changed over the past years. Issue 23, Paysages en migrations, explains these changes and more specifically the impact of economic, political or ecological migrations over material and symbolic landscapes. It also connects the past and present of landscapes, the history of their shaping and thus draws from scientific, technical, aesthetical, economic and political knowledge. Issues 22 and 27, which respectively focus on mountains and archeology, both reinforce our historical knowledge of landscapes and gardens and our connection to them.
By drawing from all domains related to the notion of landscape, the publication promotes a diversity of critical, practical and artistic responses to its readership. It offers a selection of translations of ancient and contemporary foreign texts and thus provides readers with a wider perspective. The thoughts, research and creations shared by Les Carnets du paysage give readers an opportunity to take part and responsibility in shaping the future of the landscape as well as their own.
“Discovering and finding inspiration in the world and in the spirit of the landscape while leaving our mark”… That’s what Les Carnets du paysage successfully and perfectly achieve.
Les Carnets du Paysage
ecole-paysage.fr
