Forest Nights at the Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale

As part of the France-Brazil Cultural Season, the Nuits des forêts festival at the Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale takes us on a journey to the Amazon, a majestic and mythical forest and the cradle of an ancestral relationship between man and nature. COAL, France’s leading association for art and ecology, has joined forces with LABVERDE, the Manaus-based Brazilian center for artistic and environmental research, as well as the Cité du développement durable, the Espace Frans Krajcberg, Centre d’art contemporain Art et Nature and the CNAM, to create an exceptional artistic program. Together, they question the notion of coexistence and explore how to reintegrate the dynamics of harmony into the relationship between nature and culture, as they existed in this thousand-year-old forest until recently.

The artistic program devised by COAL and its partners for the Nuits des Forêts aims to contribute to the transformation of representations and practices in favor of a sustainable coexistence that implies moving from domination to partnership, from consumerism to sustainability, and from short-term gains to a long-term vision, fostering a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world. Visitors will be able to explore three themes that bring together artists, scientists and forest conservationists, addressing major issues linked to the exploitation of living organisms past and present, the impact of megafires in Amazonia on global climate imbalance, and the peoples of the forest.

During these two days, you can also take advantage of the two exhibitions on display in the tropical agronomy garden: coexistencia with photographs by Frans Krajcberg, Sebastiao Salgado and Rodrigo Braga, and the end-of-residency exhibition residency exhibition by Fabiana Ex-Souza and Felipe Shibuya!

DETAILED PROGRAMMING

ALL WEEKEND LONG

• Ma maison est ta maison, video installation by Keywa Henri – continuous and free access

Kalin’a Tɨlewuyu artist Keywa Henri has taken over the Pavillon de la Guyane to retrace his colonial history, bringing to the surface the painful memories that still guide today’s relations between the so-called “overseas” territories and France. Following on from her “Wossa la’a” (“I’m coming back” in Kali’na) project on the “human zoos” in which members of her people were exhibited in Paris at the Jardin d’Acclimatation in 1882 and 1892, Keywa uses the remains of the 1907 colonial exhibition still on display at the Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale to reflect on our human and other-human relationships, past and present, and to question their future. Meet the artist on Sunday June 15 at 4pm.

• 5pm – 10pm Ecosystem of the Gods , video installation by Trudrua Dorrico, free admission

Ecosystème des Dieux is a poem born of the Amazon rainforest, a living reminder of our sacred bond with animals, plants and their enchanted, protective spirits. It reminds us that when the forest is destroyed, so too are the people who inhabit it and their knowledge. This text is a call to rehabilitate indigenous principles, essential to collective equilibrium. Carried by multiple words, the poem unfolds a message that is at once spiritual, political and poetic – just like the forest itself. Meet at the Indochine pavilion. Free access

• Atamogola’a (Recommencer), Convoque tes racines and Invoque ta mémoire, sound installation by Yuwey Henri – continuous and free access

In a grove in the Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale, poet and artist Yuwey Henri, from the Kali’na Tɨlewuyu people in French Guiana, resonates her poem Atamogola’a (Begin Again) in the languages of her ancestral territory: Kali’na, the language of her people, Wayana and five other indigenous languages of French Guiana, as well as French and Portuguese, the languages of the colonizers of French Guiana and part of the Amazon basin. Through water, plants, space and time, Yuwey summons her roots and invokes memory, the Voices heard reminding her “who we are”. Meet the artist on Sunday June 15 at 4pm.

EVENTS ON SATURDAY JUNE 14

• 2 – 5 pm Biodiversity fresco by V’île fertile

Take part in this Biodiversity Fresco, a collaborative and creative workshop to understand the causes and consequences of biodiversity erosion. Ages 15 and up and adults. Reservations required HERE

• 14H – 19H Tasting and meeting, at the discovery of Warana – Free access

Warana, the mythical plant of the Amazon, is a treasure for the Sateré Mawé people, guardians of their ancestral knowledge. They are the only people to have mastered the ritual domestication of this plant, thus preserving their natural and cultural heritage. Since 1993, Guayapi has been supporting this people in a fair trade initiative to protect their forest territory. Come and discover their history and taste this emblematic beverage in the company of Bastien Beaufort, Guayapi’s Managing Director.

• 16H30 – 17H15 Scientific walks, There is no forest without fire, by Cired

Explore the mysteries of forest fires with Simon Jean, PhD student in economics at CIRED, during a walk in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes. Discover the hidden truths behind these disasters, their costs and their beneficiaries. Can we burn the forest to save it? 45 min. Reservations required HERE

• 3pm – 5pm Workshop “Discovering pollinating insects”, by V’île Fertile

Discover pollinating insects! Learn to recognize the major families, capture and observe these allies of biodiversity, and learn about a participatory science protocol. Participation required (€2 children, €4 adults). Reservations required HERE

• 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm and 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm Let’s take a walk in the woods while… everyone’s here? By Cired de

This is the story of a hunter, a hiker and a lumberjack in a forest. It may seem like the beginning of a joke, but cohabitation isn’t always easy. To find out more, we invite you to discover the complexity of forest use conflicts, during a visit led by a doctoral student working on the subject. 45 min. Reservations required HERE

• 4pm – 6pm Workshop for young audiences Lettres d’amour aux forêts, by Bianca Dacosta

Designed by Brazilian artist Bianca Dacosta, this workshop introduces young and old to the art of making seeded paper. At the end of the process, participants are invited to write a love letter to the forest. This seeded letter will then be planted in the earth, where it will grow into beautiful plants in a few months’ time! From 10 years old. Reservations required HERE

• 16H – 17H30 Historical tour of the garden and library, by CIRAD

Immerse yourself in the history of the tropical agronomy garden through a guided tour punctuated by stories and anecdotes. The tour includes a visit to CIRAD’s historic library, an exceptional repository of rare works documenting the links between forests, research and colonial history. With Dominique Lasserre, Director of CIRAD’s historical library. Reservations required HERE

• 19H Special event, The Cry for the Planet & Tribute to Franc Krajcberg and Sebastião Salgado

Two men, two generations, one fight and one voice. Sebastião Salgado and Frans Krajcberg are advocates of lush, self-sufficient nature, whose beauty has been tarnished by the disasters of human intervention. What they have in common is an irrepressible urgency to give back to the planet what is rightfully itss. In the ashes of the fires, hope lives on: their works open our eyes and urge us to become agents of change. 20 years ago, in 2005, on the occasion of the Year of Brazil in France, Frans Krajcberg presentedDialogues with Nature, a major retrospective exhibition in the Jardins de Bagatelle, on the violence that man inflicts on nature, including deforestation. Further information HERE. Reservations required HERE

• 20H Collective performance by Fabiana Ex Souza

On the occasion of the Brazil-France 2025 season, Afro-Brazilian artist Fabiana Ex-Souza presents a collective performance rooted in the ancestral memories and struggles of Afro-descendant and indigenous peoples. By honoring forests as territories of knowledge, resistance and care, the artist claims a different way of coexisting. In this encounter, joy becomes more than a feeling: it becomes a political strategy, an affirmation of a dignified, connected and indomitable existence in the face of systemic violence. Reservations required HERE

• 9:30 pm Participatory performance by Rodrigo Braga, Latência

For Nuit des Forêts, Rodrigo Braga invites participants to a collective photographic performance around the notion of urgency, a collective feeling expressing our need for mobilization in the face of environmental challenges. In partnership with Espace Frans Krajcberg. Ages 12 and up. No artistic experience is required. There is no intention to record people’s faces in the photographs. Reservations required HERE

• 22H Night observation

Immerse yourself in a nocturnal discovery of the Jardin d’agronomie tropicale, offering a new perspective on this little-known site. Accompanied by passionate guides who will share their knowledge of the Garden, you’ll discover unsuspected details of the surrounding nature. Reservations required HERE

EVENTS ON SUNDAY JUNE 15

• 10H – 14 H Walk and wild cuisine with V’île Fertile

Set off on an immersive morning to discover the edible and medicinal wild plants of the garden and woods of Vincennes. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., a guided walk will introduce you to their identification, uses and biodiversity-friendly harvesting. Then, from 12 noon to 2 p.m., it’s time for wild cuisine: prepare and taste simple recipes based on the plants you’ve picked, followed by a shared meal. Everyone is invited to bring a picnic and a specialty to taste. Ages 13 and up. Registration required HERE

• 11H – 16H Tasting and meeting, discovering Warana

Warana, the mythical plant of the Amazon, is a treasure for the Sateré Mawé people, guardians of their ancestral knowledge. They are the only people to have mastered the ritual domestication of this plant, thus preserving their natural and cultural heritage. Since 1993, Guayapi has been supporting this people in a fair trade initiative to protect their forest territory. Come and discover their history and taste this emblematic beverage in the company of Bastien Beaufort, Guayapi’s Managing Director. Free entry.

• 2pm – 4pm Herbalist workshop

Learn how to transform medicinal plants into oily macerates, balms and syrups. A sensory and practical exploration to discover the many uses of plants, and leave with your own preparations. Ages 13 and up. Registration required HERE

• 2pm – 5pm Fresco of the forest by GRET

As part of the Nuits des Forêts event, the Fresque de la Forêt offers a fun, collective opportunity to understand the mechanisms of deforestation, particularly imported deforestation, and its links with our lifestyles. Through a card game, discussions and a creative phase, explore the impacts of deforestation on forests and living things. Registration required HERE

• 3pm – 4pm Workshop for young audiences Love letters to the forests, by Bianca Dacosta

Designed by Brazilian artist Bianca Dacosta, this workshop introduces young and old to the art of making seeded paper. At the end of the process, participants are invited to write a love letter to the forest. This seeded letter will then be planted in the earth, where it will grow into beautiful plants in a few months’ time! From 10 years old. Reservations required HERE

• 10H – 18H Ecosystem of the Gods , video installation by Trudrua Dorrico, free admission

Ecosystème des Dieux is a poem born of the Amazon rainforest, a living reminder of our sacred bond with animals, plants and their enchanted, protective spirits. It reminds us that when the forest is destroyed, so too are the people who inhabit it and their knowledge. This text is a call to rehabilitate indigenous principles, essential to collective equilibrium. Carried by multiple words, the poem unfolds a message that is at once spiritual, political and poetic – just like the forest itself. Meet at the Indochine pavilion. Free access

Event organized as part of the Brazil France 2025 Season