| Colonie de manchots Empereur
(IPEV) |
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"In the South, the Far South, way beyond the rawling forties and the screaming fifties parallels, lies a miracle. A delicate miracle of silence and ice, of beauty and peace.
A continent 26 times as large as France, the Antarctic.
A land unlike any other: you will see no flag floating there, it has no ruler or king. It is owned by no one, yet belongs to every one. It's only human visitors are temporary guests, scientists, come to look into it's secrets.
Isabelle Autissier and André Bronner are not only navigators and lovers of the frontiers, they are also dreamers, writers, achievers.
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They've been aware for a long time that creators are also explorers, and that certain settings possess endless powers of inspiration. Hense the idea of a cruise ship. A kind of arch, full of look-outs. Setting off in Chile (Punta Arenas), it will lead 50 artists of every discipline to these highly fascinating regions.
No one can tell what single or joint creations will spring from this adventure in discovery. But one thing is certain, the best way to protect the Antarctic is to celebrate it's miracle.
Tribute is the most active form of respect
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Erik Orsenna
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In the footsteps of Jean-Baptiste Charcot
In 1903, a French visionary organized an 18 month expedition on board a schooner, Le Français. It was a tremendous human and scientific success. Jean-Baptiste Charcot a pioneer of French polar research, was more concerned with doing "useful works" than with ownership,.
Convinced that this undiscovered continent, the Antarctic, must be explored, Charcot brought back a huge quantity of information in every field of science.
His journey, marked for its humanism and respect of the environment, will be the guide line of our expedition.
Being a frequent visitor to the Antarctic changes your outlook on the world
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In 2003, a hunded years after Charcot, Isabelle Autissier and André Bronner launched a vast cultural and educational action on the values brought forth by the Antarctic and the vital significance of this continent in the earth's balance. The Antarctic holds the planet's memory inside its ice, but it also holds the planet's future, as it contains 70% of its fresh water and is one of the climate's heat engines. Our wish is to make people understand, dream about and share the wonders of this precious, endangered world.
A ship, the Golden Fleece is the core , the soul of this expedition. On board this ship, our guests. Artists of every discipline, musicians, choreographers, thinkers, philosophers, historians and scientists... They will let the power and beauty of the scenery capture them and each, in his/her own way, will create a testemony.
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| Crèche de manchots royaux poussins
(IPEV) |
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A fabulous journey
The ship will circuit twice around the Antarctic Peninsula in the Summer of 2004/2005 and anchor in the bays once visited by Charcot. Life together on board will allow the different disciplines to mingle and bring forth a creative exchange. The sharing of outlooks is an essential part of the concept of "Pourquoi Pas l'Antarctique". Because we also want to share the fascinating Polar Night, a small group of 8 people will Winter in the Antarctic.
The will to transmit the dream, the passion, the creations and discoveries to everyone took on a new, more concrete life as a great internet site opened in 2002. By providing a new perspective from the artists on board, the "Pourquoi Pas l'Antarctique"project aims to enable each and everyone to shape their own dreams.
Every creation will be presented to the public, especially after the expeditions. Videos, photographs, and articles will also be used.
Sharing
In these times of ecological challenge and numerous questions about the actions of mankind on the planet, the powerfull beauty of the Antarctic, its exceptional status as well as its vital, if unfamiliar position in the history of the earth provide a perfect opportunity for reflexion.
An appraisal, 100 years after Charcot, a perspective that puts the earth back in the center of our daily concerns and wonder will enable us to" do usefull work".
2002/2006: 4 years for this world at the edge of the maps, make its mark on humankind.
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