About us
Les Grandes Fenêtres is a place of residence dedicated to possible futures, to research and creation around the world of tomorrow.
Possible futures,
what does it mean?
"Thinking about the world of tomorrow" is a vast objective. To think is to imagine, to consider, to examine, to see, to dream, to project...But to think, one must first be concerned; with the present, with humans, with the state of the Earth and with the tomorrows to come.
Convinced that tomorrow is being built today, Les Grandes Fenêtres invites us to innovate, to engage in sustainable actions and to create stories that propose a different kind of society. Stories that speak to each of us about our reality while proposing a path towards a desirable future.
The ideal world of our fantasies will not come: we must therefore confront the possible versions, multiply the formats, to allow a revolution of our imaginations and the birth of new scenarios.
Ok, but how do we do it?
We try!
Les Grandes Fenêtres project is based on three pillars: multidisciplinarity, cultural mediation and citizen debate. The choice of a theme, renewed every two years, proposes an axis of approach.
With the multidisciplinary residencies, we want to bring together people who would not normally have the chance to meet. We are betting that their joint work will bring out new perspectives.
Then, all the residents produce something for the public, first locally. Mediation supports the construction of this exchange. Then, we work with the residents on a form to give to their work that can be widely distributed, and free of charge on our site.
Finally, the residents are invited to participate in the conversations of Les Grandes Fenêtres, notably during the big debates.
New ways of inhabiting the world
New ways of inhabiting the world, the theme chosen for 2023/2024, invites us to take an interest in our ways of living, collectively and individually, and to work on our ideals in light of the issues imposed by contemporary changes.
It means questioning our relationship with reality, asking ourselves in what world we are going to live, where and how, while apprehending the changes underway. It also means projecting ourselves into 20 or 30 years, thinking particularly about the rural world, the way in which space is developed, the way in which our habitat is conceived, and our relationship with information, all of which form our perception of the world.
Les Grandes Fenêtres
team
Behind Les Grandes Fenêtres, there are about twenty people involved in the emergence of the project.
The history of the association
At the beginning, it is the story of a love affair. A Swiss couple, Ulrich and Angelika Hahn-Woernle, fell under the spell of the Dordogne. While walking in Excideuil, they noticed a beautiful house, which was collapsing, in the middle of the town
Wanting to save the place, they bought it and embarked on several years of renovation work before they even knew what they would do with it.
Finally, they decided to help the emergence of a cultural place dedicated to creativity and to young people, wishing it to be useful for tomorrow. From this will was born an association (European residence Villa les Roses), chaired by Arnaud Le Guay. In 2022, Enora Boutin joined the team as project manager and Mélina de Nardi as administrator.