MISSION
Based in the principality of Monaco, Art & Environnement Association’s mission is to organize exhibitions, as well as artistic and cultural events with the idea of using art as a catalyst for individuals, companies, communities and leaders to focus on environmental challenges and sensitize them to the damage caused by natural disasters and climate change.
Sculptures, images and photographs can touch us on an emotional level that words alone are not able to reach. Through these exhibits and events we want to engage the public individually or collectively in environmental awareness and to take action by supporting environmental programs and education.
HISTORY
Covering one third of the planet and playing a key role in the battle against climate change, vast areas of forests are devastated on all five continents causing worldwide deforestation at an alarming rate of around 13 million hectares per year, an area the size of Greece or Nicaragua.
A witness of the 2003 devastating forest fires in the Massif des Maures Forest in Southern France, artist Philippe Pastor began “The Burned Trees” sculpture series, using the region’s scorched tree trunks. Concerned by forest destruction and Earth pollution, he created in 2007 the Art & Environnement Association to support campaigns and raise public awareness on environmental issues.
Through sculptures and paintings, Pastor evokes a personal vision of Nature by working directly in Nature, with Nature and artistically translating man’s interaction with it. His main sculpture project, “The Burned Trees”, is developed with the Art & Environnement Association, and each sale goes to the association.
SCULPTURES
“The Burned Trees”
Since autumn 2003, following the forest fires in the Massif des Maures Forest in Southern France and with the authorization of the corresponding Government Agencies and Municipalities, Philippe Pastor has collected burnt tree trunks from the forest and has created « The Burned Trees » sculptures.
Pastor then cuts, transports and carves the blackened trunks, and through the magic and poetry of art, the trunks are sculpted and painted giving them new life.
« The Burned Trees » sculptures have become an emblem of deforestation and can be found exhibited throughout the world, in countries such as Kenya, France, Singapore and the United States.
In 2007 Pastor partnered with the United Nations Environmental Program at the launching of the Plant for the Planet Campaign placed under the high patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and the late Professor Wangari Maathai 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who endeavored to plant a billion trees to combat climate change.
In 2014-2015, Philippe Pastor presented « The Burned Trees » sculptures at the Gare du Nord and Gare Montparnasse in Paris, in collaboration with the Nicolas Hulot Foundation and SNCF, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Kyoto Treaty and the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21). Thus the artist got involved in a reforestation campaign in Madagascar, together with the Nicolas Hulot Foundation.
In 2015, he was the official artist of the Monaco Pavilion at the Universal Exhibition in Milan, where « The Burned Trees » sculptures were integrated into the exterior architecture of the Principality’s pavilion. The theme of the exhibition « Feeding the planet, Energy for Life » – is strongly connected with sustainable development issues and environmental protection which are major concerns for the artist.
Since then, it has been shown in different public open spaces, including areas particularly affected by forest fires.
PAINTINGS
Fascinated by Nature, Pastor has developed a technique using living matter in his immediate surroundings. Combining soil, pigments, minerals, plants and leaves of all kinds, he represents his vision of life and environmental destruction on canvas, reminding us of the earth’s beauty and its natural resources.
Discover Philippe Pastor’s paintings
“North Pole” series
Bearing the evocative title of ‘North Pole’, in reference to the irreversible melting of the glaciers, this white monochrome series portrays polar topographies and spaces that are disappearing owing to climate change.
“Blue Monochrome” series
Based on natural pigments from Moroccan Atlas, this monochrome series is a direct reference to marine pollution and to the numerous attacks on marine ecosystems resulting from human activities.
“Four Seasons” series
The « Four Seasons » series centers on the idea of climate change and the earth’s seasonal cycle. Under the open sky, where the works remain for months, they evolve with nature, through weather and natural erosion conditions, allowing them to transform unceasingly.
“H2O” series
The urgent need to preserve and respect the world’s natural resources has given birth to the « H2O » series. These works mimic the flow of water, its fluidity and harmony, the main resource for life. They are created on canvases laid across the ground, imitating the natural movement of water enhanced by combining natural pigments of lively multiple colors.