Initially, a relatively simple question arose – which quickly proved to be much broader: what does the portrait of a territory, that of the Gironde today, look like? An urban and peri-urban territory, in constant transformation, traversed by social, ecological, economic, and political challenges. To answer this question, we made a choice: not to produce a single narrative, but rather to create a platform for exchange. Nouvelles Saisons, self-portraits of a territory was therefore first and foremost an open space, born from a call for contributions, where institutional actors, professionals – architects, landscape architects, urban planners, researchers, artists, photographers, gallery owners… but also inhabitants met. Ultimately, this project took the form of a perpetually evolving exhibition, by turns an atlas in progress, a sensitive map, or an A-to-Z guide to the territory.

We explored a wide range of topics: local resources for building, skills and their transmission, attention to what already exists before any transformation, and ways of creating connections between residents. Numerous portraits, both literal and broad, allowed us to tell the story of the diversity of the territory and its inhabitants, of rituals lost or being reinvented. Some more unexpected themes emerged: clouds, climate, a proposal for "funerals for all," the clearing of vineyards, new agricultural practices and their evolving landscapes, and so on.

The collection of stories, images, documents, and experiences, brought together, does not offer a single answer but, on the contrary, reveals the complexity of this territory and the ways in which it can be read and interpreted. It forms a valuable testimony of a given period, that of the first quarter of the twenty-first century. The elements produced over the months were displayed in the space of the large gallery. They took turns, and were sometimes archived. They engaged in dialogue, and sometimes even contradicted each other. It is this evolving and dynamic dimension that made the exhibition so rich. What we tried to create was a participatory narrative, to offer a space where different visions of the territory could coexist, and to establish a forum to enrich the discussions.

The narrative of Nouvelles saisons exists thanks to you, reader, viewer, and contributor. The exhibition welcomed over 135 participants and numerous visitors, some of whom returned multiple times. The arc en rêve “revue” published 20 articles based on interviews or expanding upon the exhibited works. The formats explored were very rich: physical and digital contributions, meetings, meals, site visits, construction sites and completed buildings, culinary performances, events, carte blanche, round tables, debates, etc… so many ways to produce knowledge, but also to share experiences. This collective attempt to look at the territory differently has made it possible to compose multiple representations together, without seeking to reduce them. After four seasons of this evolving exhibition, the cycle comes to an end. But the potential portraits of its territory never cease.