For its inaugural “Around a Tree” course, the MaNa Campus had its 12 students work on the scale of a tree. During one week, the participants studied the art and the way to transcend the nobility of this material with high potential.
With its 12 meters long and its 1.8 tons, the oak, selected in the Puisaye forest, was the object of all the attention of the students of this first class. All professionals, these architects, designers, graphic artists and artists, traveled from France, but also from Italy, Belgium, Great Britain and Israel, to better master the material, while respecting it.
The idea of this program is above all to deepen the techniques of creation and assembly from a material, while avoiding its waste or deterioration. It is in the workshop dedicated to wood that the architect Pierre Dariel, the designer Thomas Dariel, Clément Chen and Emilie Scarfiglieri, carpenters at Ateliers Poyaudins, led this session. All contributed to transmit know-how allowing a better understanding of the material, all accompanied by an initiation to dedicated trades. From carpentry to cabinet making, through carpentry, the learners were able to work with stationary, electroportable or simply manual tools in the heart of the forest.
The result of this teamwork is an incredible ascending totem pole that symbolically opens onto a window, that of knowledge and know-how.
Director Raphaël Cuir concludes this training with spirit: “Your totem pole points to the horizon of an Albertan window open to narration. It generously indicates the infinite possibilities. It is the compass of Campus MaNa. With its window, it is also the symbol of openness, the openness of the campus, the openness of the spirit that has fostered our fruitful and joyful exchanges. Thank you for this masterpiece!”
This intense week ended with the official launching ceremony of Campus MaNa in the presence of local elected officials, partners, the entire team and students.
Cecile Papapietro-Matsuda
