Gilles Clément and Michio Tase

Gilles Clément has been teaching at the École nationale supérieure du paysage in Versailles since 1979, alongside his work as a designer. He was involved in the design of the André-Citroën Park in Paris, inaugurated in 1992. In 1999, he curated the spectacular exhibition Le Jardin planétaire at the Grande halle de la Villette. Among his many projects, Gilles Clément has contributed to the design of the Jardins de l'Arche at La Défense, the Jardin du musée du quai Branly in Paris, with Patrick Blanc and Jean Nouvel, and the Jardin de l'École normale supérieure in Lyon. In addition to his work as a landscape architect of parks, gardens and public and private spaces, Gilles Clément pursues theoretical and practical work along three lines of research: the Garden in Movement, the Planetary Garden and the Third Landscape. These concepts stem from the observation that a natural landscape is never static, and that species and genes must circulate.

Born in 1949, architect and landscape designer Michio Tase's work focuses on the notion of urban ecology. His major works include Yurigaoka Village, Court House Kunitachi, ACROS Fukuoka, Fukushima Aquarium, BIOS in Okinawa, solar energy company OM-EGG, Nissan Advanced Technology Center, 5bai Midori, Ajinomoto Stadium West Field, Renovated ‘Machiya’ modern folk dwellings, Queen’s Meadow Country House. Together with Ludivine Gragy, Michio Tase is taking part in a residency programme run by Maison Kochimi, which aims to bring Japanese artists to France.