The Blue Marble

(Sensitive Landscapes)

2019

UV print on blue marble. 40 x 90 cm slab taken from a split rock

Seen from space, the Earth is a ‘blue planet’, with seas covering 70% of its surface. This poetic image nevertheless masks the damage that these seas are suffering, even though awareness of the fragility of these environments is growing around the world. Our planet, suspended in the immensity of the cosmos, is both our refuge and our responsibility. Far from being a mere backdrop to our lives, it is a fragile ecosystem whose harmony is precious. As astronaut Jean-François Clervois explained to me, observing the Earth from space is a vision that brings with it a real ecological awareness, a realisation of its beauty, but also of its vulnerability. While we have long turned our gaze towards the sky, fascinated by the unknown, it's time to refocus our attention on what lies beneath our feet. The Blue Marble, a reference to the first shot of the Apollo missions' “earthrise”, is like an immense black screen on which the sky becomes a stunning projection surface that welcomes new aspirations and prompts us to rethink our relationship with our planet. Redefining our relationship with the Earth means relearning to respect it, to preserve it, to live in symbiosis with it. For while the lure of elsewhere has always nourished our dreams, our greatest journey should be the one that brings us closer to the Earth.

UV print on blue marble. 40 x 90 cm slab taken from a split rock