MAP Project

#ProudOfOurStudents: MAP’s art installation project

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Students from the Montpellier Artistic Project (MAP) invite you to join them in analyzing a scene from Godard’s film *Contempt* during the special exhibition by artist Sylvain Fraysse at the Historic Building of the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine. We met with them to discuss this unique project.

How did this project come about?

The“Camille” project was launched in 2022, born out of a desire among members of the Montpellier Artistic Project to introduce students at the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine to new forms of art. The 2021–2022 MAP board therefore reached out to the Regional Contemporary Art Fund (FRAC) with the aim of creating a joint project, and this led to a collaboration with visual artist Sylvain Fraysse and Céline Mélissent, who oversees public engagement and the promotion of the collection at the FRAC.

 

What does this artistic experience entail for visitors?

The exhibition is a sensory experience of light and sound centered on Jean-Luc Godard’s film *Contempt *. The artist uses the Dissection Room in the Historic Building of the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine to “dissect” a scene from the film. In this iconic scene, the director lists the parts of Camille’s body—one of the main characters, played by Brigitte Bardot—in the manner of a dissection. Sylvain Fraysse recreates the scene’s color filters using gelatin sheets on the windows of the dissection room and also cuts the film’s original soundtrack into 24 frequencies. In this way, he dissects the very essence of the scene.

 

What exactly is MAP?

The "Montpellier Artistic Project" is a non-profit organization established in August 2020 by three medical students who wanted to organize artistic activities within the faculty.
Over the past three years, the MAP board has expanded, and we now offer a variety of workshops and activities across our four divisions: Applied Arts, Public Speaking, Literary Arts, and Culinary Arts. To this end, we provide materials and introductory sessions for various artistic practices, and we also organize art contests on our social media platforms, as well as a public speaking contest each semester.
You can find us through our mascot, a chameleon named Léon Art, on Facebook, as well as on our Instagram account.

 

Why is this project so important to you?

It is important to us because it allows us to bring the Faculty’s historic building to life by opening a room that has never before been open to the public, and thus gives the association a boost by taking us out of our usual workshops. We have learned a great deal from this project and hope that students and visitors will enjoy it. Furthermore, we are very proud to be part of Montpellier’s bid for the 2028 Capital of Culture and to be able to contribute to the city’s cultural life. It is a vibrant experience that brings students together.

 

What kind of support have you been able to gather?

We had the opportunity to work with Sylvain Fraysse and the FRAC through Céline Mélissent, who served as our primary point of contact during the development of this project. The project was selected to be part of Montpellier’s bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2028, which allowed us to receive financial support for the production of the exhibition. The TaM supported us by allowing us to install posters at certain tram and bus stops throughout the metropolitan area to promote the exhibition.
We also received support from the University of Montpellier (UM) through the Student Initiative Solidarity Fund (FSDIE) and the UM Arts and Culture Department, notably Eléonore Szturemski, as well as from the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine. We would like to extend a special thank you to Dean Isabelle Laffont and Professor Gérald Chanques for their support and logistical assistance.

 

Practical information about the exhibition

Historic Building of the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine
2 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine
34000 Montpellier

 

Exhibition open to the public from March 22 to April 18:
  • Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Students can visit the exhibits during these open house days on a drop-in basis.

On Tuesdays, guided tours will be led by students in the Master’s program in Cultural Mediation at the Faculty of Education in Montpellier.
  • Tuesday, March 28, and April 4 and 11 at 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, April 18, at 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Additional mediation sessions offered by association members will be announced at a later date on the event’s Facebook page.

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Jardin des Plantes | 5 Great Reasons to Attend the 18th Edition of Primavera

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The 18th edition of Primavera will take place on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier. Exhibitions, lectures, and a sale of rare plants will be held there from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Primavera Rare Plant Sale

1. A golden opportunity to acquire an exceptional plant

Primavera’s sale of rare plants is sure to delight both plant enthusiasts and hobby gardeners alike. Just imagine: being able to enjoy a little piece of the Jardin des Plantes in your living room or garden every day. Green is going to be the decor trend this spring!

 

2. A Day of Learning

Botanical Garden

The 3 must-see talks:

  • 2:30 p.m.: “Plant Nomenclature: From Pre-Linnaean Authors to the Shenzhen Code” by Pierre COULOT, pharmacist and biologist, founder and
    president of the Botanical Society of Occitanie, and specialist in the Fabaceae family.
  • 3:30 p.m.: “The Mysteries of the Labyrinth” by Andrée LAFON. With a passion for literature, theater, and psychoanalysis, she has written books
    that place a strong emphasis on depth psychology.
  • 4:30 p.m.: “The Restoration Project for Pierre Richer de Belleval’s Intendance and Its Maze” by Professor Thierry LAVABRE-BERTRAND, Director of the Jardin des Plantes.

 

Download the Spring 2023 Program

3. A blend of art and nature

Anne Tassin, a ceramic artist, invites you to visit her exhibition, “Inspiration from Plants”

4. Come see the recently renovated Rabelais monument!

Sculpted by Jacques Villeneuve, the monument—dedicated to Rabelais and the pleasures of life—was unveiled on November 6, 1921, by President Alexandre Millerand. The monument was a gift from the students as part of the celebration marking the 700th anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine, where Rabelais studied in 1530.

The University of Montpellier, the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine, and the Montpellier Botanical Garden Corporate Foundation contributed to the restoration of this monument.

5. It’s spring!

 

Who doesn’t love strolling through the paths of the Jardin des Plantes in the spring? It’s the perfect time to see the garden’s lush flora come back to life after winter. Spring is a great excuse—if you need one—to discover or rediscover Montpellier’s Jardin des Plantes.

Learn more about the garden

 

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#ProudOfOurStaff | The Jardin des Plantes, Winner of the 2022 National Vegetable Garden Competition!

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Did you know? The Jardin des Plantes is home to many unique features. Among the most recent is a permaculture vegetable garden. Created two years ago on the initiative of Jean-François “Jeff” Fauveau, a member of our team of botanist-gardeners, this permaculture plot is now the winner of the prestigious national vegetable garden competition, organized by the National Horticultural Society of France ! A source of immense pride for our Faculty and the teams at the Jardin des Plantes. At the awards ceremony held on November 30, we met Jeff, who told us about this project.

 

A project born out of post-lockdown reflection

It was in 2020 that the idea of creating a permaculture vegetable garden at the Jardin des Plantes first took root in Jeff’s mind. Intrigued by current events at the time, our gardener had noticed that many people were turning to permaculture as a response to political and economic challenges.

Inspired by the Jardin des Plantes’ mission to raise awareness, Jeff hopes that this garden will encourage the people of Montpellier to reconnect with agriculture and take back control of their food. To that end, he has designed his project around plant varieties that are best suited for our balconies, terraces, and gardens in our region’s Mediterranean climate.

 

A permaculture garden: what’s that all about?

When we ask Jean-François to explain what a permaculture garden is, he responds on two levels:

  • The technical aspect: Permaculture draws on practices shared around the world, focusing on understanding soil chemistry to minimize human intervention in the soil and its structure. The goal is to combine specific plant varieties—primarily perennials—to create symbiotic systems, thereby avoiding the use of chemical inputs such as pesticides or fertilizers.
  • The values framework: According to Jeff, permaculture is more than just a practice; it is based on a system of values aimed at “protecting the earth and people, and sharing the surplus.”

 

All in all, a permaculture garden is a garden designed with sustainability in mind, based on careful observation of biological ecosystems. Cultivated with respect for nature, the seasons, and people, it allows plants to be grown without the use of chemicals.

 

The permaculture garden at the Jardin des Plantes: a place of plant diversity, open to the public

Launched in 2020, the permaculture garden can be found in Plot No. 4 of the School of Systematics at the Jardin des Plantes. Covering an area of nearly 200 m², the garden features over 250 species of plants, all of which are edible. Among the cultivated species, Jeff tries to balance so-called “classic” plants with more “unique” ones. You’ll find tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, apples, grapes, and corn, as well as Daubenton cabbage, Rocambolle garlic, stevia, peanuts, and bissap. Edible flowers are also on hand to delight the taste buds of even the most discerning gourmets.

This permaculture garden is tended by Jeff, who also works to introduce it to the people of Montpellier through guided tours between March and November. Jeff takes this opportunity to offer advice on permaculture and to share the fruits of his labor by giving visitors some fruits and vegetables to taste when the season allows!

 

An innovative project, winner of the 2022 National Vegetable Garden Competition

All this variety and these educational initiatives have undoubtedly helped make this project one of the winners of the national vegetable garden contest!

After submitting an entry in June in Category 4, “Educational Garden or Plot,” the teams at the Jardin des Plantes welcomed the competition judges in September for a two-hour visit, during which they asked our gardener a variety of technical questions.

A few weeks later, Jeff was delighted to learn that his garden had been selected as one of the 60 finalists in the competition for the Grand Prize for France’s best educational vegetable garden! 

Jean-François and Emmanuel Spicq, head gardener at the Jardin des Plantes, received the award during a ceremony held on November 30, 2022, in Paris. A source of great pride for Jeff:

“This is a wonderful surprise. I’m very happy—this project and this competition allow us to step outside our usual scope. It gives us the opportunity to connect with other national institutions and reach out to the wider world. I look forward to exchanging ideas with the other participants and winners to take this project to new horizons!”

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SHNF Press Kit
 

 

 

More to come on the Garden's projects

In addition to putting our garden in the spotlight, this contest is indeed an opportunity to build new relationships and partnerships with other gardeners, gardens, and/or institutions and organizations.

“I hope to gain new insights from these discussions that will help me apply permaculture principles to other projects. After the vegetable garden, I’d like to work with fellow gardeners at the Jardin des Plantes to explore the possibility of creating a new permaculture plot focused on drought-tolerant plants!” Jeff tells us enthusiastically.

The plot, which has already been identified, will be located on the Dunal Dellile hill, another section of the School of Systematics. We therefore wish our teams at the Garden the very best of luck with this new project, which may provide an opportunity to enter this competition in a different category!

 

Practical information:
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#ProudOfOurStudents | 2022 Medical School Commencement

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A few weeks after our Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs), it’s now our medical students’ turn to attend their graduation ceremony.

A ceremony traditionally held at the Jardin des Plantes

Traditionally held at the Jardin des Plantes on the third weekend of September, this ceremony gives our students’ friends and families the chance to (re)discover the faculty through a private tour of the campus led by our faculty members, before cheering on our new graduates!

 

A rite of passage into postgraduate medical studies

The students attending this ceremony are completing their first two years of medical school (six years). They are now entering their third year of medical school and will begin their residency in one of the medical or surgical specialties, either in Montpellier or in other cities.

We wish them all the best in their future careers! Congratulations to everyone!

 

A few photos

MED 2022 Ceremony -1

Graduates' Speeches

MED 2022 Ceremony -2

The organizers (ANIMN)

MED 2022 Ceremony -3

Visit to the Dean's Office

MED 2022 Ceremony -4

Promotional photo

MED 2022 Ceremony -5

Our professors stroll from the Faculty to the Jardin des Plantes

MED 2022 Ceremony – 6

Guided tour of the Cloakroom led by Professor Lavabre

MED 2022 Ceremony -7

A ceremony attended by the university president

MED 2022 Ceremony -8

Every year, the students' families and friends are there to support them!

MED 2022 Ceremony -9

A graduating class typically consists of between 200 and 300 students

MED 2022 Ceremony -10

Remarks by Dr. Cathala, President of the CDOM

MED 2022 Ceremony -11

Graduates' Speeches
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#JEP 2022 | The Jardin des Plantes Takes Center Stage!

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This year, as part of Heritage Days, La Mission Bern, in partnership with the Fondation pour le Patrimoine and La Française des Jeux, will present the Jardins des Plantes team with a check funded by the Heritage Lottery! In the afternoon, a program of free guided tours awaits visitors.

 

Read the press kit

 

The Jardin des Plantes, selected by the Heritage Lottery

As we learned last March, the Jardin des Plantes was selected by the Mission Patrimoine—a program entrusted to Stéphane Bern by the Ministry of Culture — along with 18 other French sites to receive funding from the Loto du Patrimoine. In addition to providing significant national exposure, this program will give the Jardin des Plantes administration a much-needed boost for its renovation, with work expected to begin shortly.

To celebrate this occasion, the Jardin des Plantes will host a delegation from Mission Patrimoine and La Française des Jeux during European Heritage Days. An awards ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, September 17, at the Jardin des Plantes. This ceremony, attended by Mr. Lloberes, FDJ Regional Director for the Southeast, Mr. Pradel, FDJ Manager for the Hérault Nord Aveyron sector, and Mr. Genet, Regional Delegate for Occitanie-Méditerranée for the Fondation du Patrimoine, will unveil the support provided by the Mission to the Intendance renovation project.

 

An afternoon filled with guided tours!

To celebrate Heritage Days, our teams of gardeners and teachers are offering—for once—several guided tours. These tours are free and do not require reservations; they are conducted in small groups of 15 to 20 people. Be sure to arrive a few minutes early to secure a spot. If the weather is nice, a bottle of water and a hat are highly recommended!

See the schedule for the day below.

 

Note: This year, the Historic Building will not be open to the public due to renovation work.

 

We've talked about it

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Jardin des Plantes | Summer 2022 Tours

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Every summer, the Jardin des Plantes organizes tours to help the general public learn more about our botanical garden. Check out the summer 2022 program.

Tours for all ages

Open to everyone, the Jardin des Plantes’ summer tours explore nine recurring themes: “Herbs and the Sensory Garden,” “Medicinal Plant Collections,” “The Jardin des Plantes’ Plant Collections,” “The Martins Greenhouse and Its Succulent Collection,” “To be or not to be a botanical garden, that is the question,” “Tours of the Permaculture Edible Garden,” “Aromatic Plants and Spices,” “The Garden, Medicine, and Botany for 400 Years.”

 

DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAM
REGISTRATION (FREE)

Practical Information

ADDRESS

Henri IV Boulevard,

34000 Montpellier

  • Free admission

  • Advance registration is REQUIRED

  • Please meet at the garden entrance on Henri IV Boulevard 10 minutes before the tour begins

 

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#ProudOfOurStudents | Med’Ley in concert at the Jardin des Plantes this Friday, July 1!

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The Med’ley association organizes music-related events, singing contests, bar concerts, karaoke nights, and music quizzes. The student association aims to bring together medical and health science students to satisfy their musical cravings! For the third time, Med’ley is organizing a concert at the Jardin des Plantes: Don’t miss this event!

 

 

Concert at the Jardin des Plantes

For this third edition of the Concert at the Jardin des Plantes, the Med’ley association is organizing a musical event with the primary goal of raising funds for the “RIRE”association.

Supported by Med’ley for the past two years, the organization aims to brighten the days of children in the pediatric ward by bringing in clowns. A concert will therefore be held on July 1, 2022, at the Jardin des Plantes from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

 

Buy my tickets

A special occasion

This is your chance to be enchanted by the essence of summer and enjoy performances by students from Montpellier who have been practicing and preparing for months for this event.

Snacks and food will be available for purchase to support the RIRE association, and a raffle will be held with a chance to win unique prizes.

 

 

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Summer 2022 | Temporary Closures of the Garden

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We would like to inform our visitors that the garden will be closed on the following dates: 

 

  • Thursday, June 23: The garden will reopen at 4 p.m.
  • Friday, June 24: The garden will close at 3 p.m.
  • Friday, July 1: The garden will close at 5 p.m.

 

Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you a wonderful summer!

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Rendez-vous aux Jardins: The Jardin des Plantes will be there this weekend!

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For the 19thth edition of “Rendez-vous aux Jardins,” gardeners and botanists welcome you from across Europe to explore the theme “Gardens in the Face of Climate Change.” The event, organized by the Ministry of Culture, will take place from Friday, June 3, to Sunday, June 5, 2022. And here’s some good news: the Jardin Des Plantes in Montpellier will be participating for two days.

 

 What exactly is “Rendez-vous aux jardins”?

 Starting Friday, June 3, nearly 2,200 gardens will open their gates, offering moments of joy and discovery. It’s an opportunity to share with family and friends through a wide range of activities. Throughout the weekend, visitors will be able to interact with experts on nature conservation measures, with the goal of raising awareness about the protection of biodiversity, which is essential to the well-being of all living things. Furthermore, in recent years, thanks to successful European cooperation, many countries have joined the initiative, including Germany, Portugal, Croatia, Italy, Poland, and France. This is an opportunity to discover splendid gardens, including the Jardin des Plantes at the Montpellier Faculty of Medicine.

 

And what's the situation like at the Jardin des Plantes?

The Jardin des Plantes at the Montpellier Faculty of Medicine is opening its doors this year for its 19th annual event. In groups of 25, you’ll explore the garden’s iconic sites through 14 guided tours, focusing on recurring themes such as “Bees and Humans in 2022,” “Herbs and the Five Senses Plots,” or general tours. All passionate about botany, our five gardener-botanists—who will don the role of guides for the duration of the weekend—will present how plants are adapting to climate change in their respective areas. The goal of these two days is to foster interaction between our gardeners-botanists and the general public, as well as to raise awareness among young people and adults alike about preserving and promoting the Faculty’s Jardin des Plantes. An iconic site in Montpellier, come discover it with fresh eyes. We look forward to seeing many of you there! 

 

2022 Tour Schedule for "RDV aux Jardins"

All tours depart from the municipal guards' station on Boulevard Henri IV.

The maximum number of people per visit is limited to 25.

  • Fri, June 3 – 1:00 p.m.

    Bees and Humans in 2022

    by Jeff Fauveau and the APIS SCHOLA association

  • General Tour of the Garden

    by Emmanuel Spicq

    Fri, June 3 – 1:30 p.m.

  • Fri, June 3 – 2:00 p.m.

    To be or not to be in an English garden—that is the question?

    by Ludovic Rioux and Jean-Louis Talavera

  • The Collections of the Jardin des Plantes

    by Didier Morisot

    Fri, June 3 – 2:30 p.m.

  • Fri, June 3 – 3:00 p.m.

    Plant strategies and adaptations to climate change

    by Denis Nespoulous

  • Herbs and the Five Senses Square

    by Jean-Louis Talavera

    Fri, June 3 – 4:00 p.m.

  • Sat, June 4 – 1:30 p.m.

    To be or not to be in an English garden—that is the question?

    by Ludovic Rioux and Jean-Louis Talavera

  • A Walk Through History and Ecology

    by Denis Nespoulous

    Saturday, June 4 – 2:00 p.m.

  • Sat, June 4 – 2:15 p.m.

    Bees and Humans in 2022

    by Jeff Fauveau and the APIS SCHOLA association

  • Martins Greenhouse and its collection of succulents

    by Emmanuel SPICQ

    Saturday, June 4 – 2:30 p.m.

  • Saturday, June 4 – 3:00 p.m.

    Herbs and the Five Senses Square

    by Jean-Louis Talavera

  • Plant strategies and adaptations to climate change

    by Denis Nespoulous

    Saturday, June 4 – 3:30 p.m.

  • Sat, June 4 – 4:00 p.m.

    Bees and Humans in 2022

    by Jeff Fauveau and the APIS SCHOLA association

  • General Tour of the Garden

    by Emmanuel Spicq

    Sat, June 4 – 4:30 p.m.

 

 

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Jardin des Plantes: Don’t miss the “Boutographies” exhibition through May 29!

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Inspired by the Jardin des Plantes and its historic herbarium, discover the “Botanica” exhibition curated by Christelle Boulé for the Boutographie Festival. From Saturday, May 7, through Sunday, May 29, enjoy a floral stroll right in the heart of the Orangerie.

Off-site programming

Each year, the Boutographie Festival offers a parallel program that creates a circuit through various cultural venues in Montpellier. Originally scheduled for 2019 but canceled due to the health crisis, the Jardin des Plantes is hosting the Botanica project this year—a series of 15 paintings paying tribute to its botanical collections. To learn about the project’s origins and its inspirations, we spoke with artist Christelle Boullé.

What is your background?

I grew up in Montreal and studied art. I later decided to switch to graphic design and earned a bachelor’s degree in 2009. After moving to Lausanne, Switzerland, I worked for four years as a graphic designer at an agency. Following this experience, I decided to resume my studies and enrolled in the Master’s program in photography at ECAN, a world-renowned school, from 2014 to 2016. That’s when I began approaching photography the way I do today—experimentally—particularly through a series I created on perfume. It involves working in a lab, much like with film photography, but here the photos are developed in color. I love that each photo is unique, and this technique is a playground for creativity.

Tell us about the Les Boutographies project  

In 2017, I submitted my graduation project to exhibit at the Pavillon Populaire. I was contacted again in late 2019 for an “Hors les Murs” exhibition, which showcases various photo series throughout Montpellier. They reached out to me because I work with materials. I really like the Boutographies project because it helps showcase emerging artists; it’s very refreshing and gives us the chance to discover projects that don’t get as much exposure.

What about the Botanica project?

This invitation is a wonderful gift. I had been working for two or three years on the visual representation of perfume when Les Boutographies came up with this idea in collaboration with the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier. So I began researching the site and was immediately inspired. It’s a fantastic place. I watched documentaries and reports to discover the richness of the herbariums, which immediately caught my interest. I wanted to get closer to the material and pay homage to nature, scents, and forms. I then wanted to create a timeless garden—a garden we could have at home or one that might have existed 300 years ago—to bridge the past and the future.

What inspired you when working on the Jardin des Plantes?

I didn’t actually go to the Jardin des Plantes; instead, I decided to imagine it and let myself be inspired. So I turned to my friends who had traveled to places like Japan or Canada and taken photos of plants. My work was based on my research and, above all, on my interpretation of what the garden might be like.

 

Launched in 2020, the Botanica photography series is still ongoing, and Christelle Boulé continues to work on it.

For a burst of color, visit the Orangery throughout the month of May!

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