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mardi 15 décembre 2015

Naissance d'un jardin japonais près de Paris - Birth of a Japanese garden near Paris


Le jardin de la pureté au Domaine de la Celle Saint-Cloud, près de Versailles.
The garden of purity, at the Domaine de la Celle Saint-Cloud, near Paris
Un jardin japonais créé dans le jardin du Domaine de la Celle-Saint-Cloud, dans les Yvelines par le paysagiste japonais Yasuo Beppu vient d’être inauguré en octobre dernier.
 Le Ministère des Affaires étrangères français et du développement international est propriétaire depuis 1951 du "Domaine de la Celle Saint-Cloud", près de Versailles (Yvelines), qui comporte un château et une orangerie situés dans un magnifique parc de 28 hectares.
Depuis son legs, le domaine a été le lieu de nombreuses rencontres diplomatiques, dont un long séjour de Nelson Mandela après sa libération.
Les responsables de l’espace de l'Orangerie ont demandé à un paysagiste japonais de renom, Yasuo Beppu et ses assistants, de réaliser un jardin japonais dans l'enceinte du parc.
En tenant compte de l'emplacement et de l'environnement, il a été décidé de composer "un jardin sec", qui représente symboliquement l'eau. Le sable blanc évoque la mer et les pierres suggèrent des îles. La rocaille déjà existante (une fontaine en pierre) a été associée au jardin et le partage en deux : à droite “le jardin de l'infini” et à gauche “le jardin de la pureté”.
Cet événement participe au renforcement des échanges intellectuels et culturels qui contribue à rapprocher encore davantage la France et le Japon comme l'ikebana a su le faire depuis plusieurs décennies.

A Japanese Garden created by the Japanese landscape architect Master Yasuo Beppu in the “Domain of La Celle Saint Cloud”, near Paris, was inaugurated at the end of October.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development owns since 1951 "the Domain of La Celle Saint Cloud", near Versailles, which includes an orangerie house and a castle, in a wonderful 28 hectares park.
Since his legacy, the area was the site of numerous diplomatic meetings, including a long stay of Nelson Mandela, after his release.
The Ministry has asked a famous Japanese landscape architect, Master Yasuo Beppu and his assistants, to achieve a Japanese garden inside the park.
Considering the location and environment, it was decided to carry out a "dry garden", which symbolically represents water. The white sand evokes the sea and stones suggest the islands.
The existing rock (a stone fountain) has been associated with garden into a single whole. It divides the garden into two, the right "infinity's garden" and left "the garden of purity".
This event contributes to the strengthening of intellectual and cultural exchanges which will contribute to even closer France and Japan, as ikebana was able to do for several decades.

 
De gauche à droite /From left to right : Ambassador Yoichi Suzuki - Minister Laurent Fabius - Governor Yoichi Masuzoe.

L'inauguration de ce jardin a eu lieu le 28 octobre 2015, en présence des 350 invités du maître des lieux, le Ministre des Affaires étrangères Monsieur Laurent Fabius.
Marcel Vrignaud a eu l'honneur d'être invité par le Ministère pour réaliser un ikebana devant les nombreuses personnalités et de l'invité d'honneur : Monsieur Yoichi Masuzoe, gouverneur de Tokyo et grand ami de la France, accompagné par l'Ambassadeur du Japon en France, Monsieur Yoichi Suzuki.
Monsieur Masuzoe s’est très intéressé à la composition réalisée à base de branches de ginkgo biloba aux couleurs d'automne,en raison particulièrement de la présence d'un logo de feuille de “l'arbre aux quarante écus” sur sa carte de visite !...
Il a posé plusieurs questions à Marcel Vrignaud sur le symbolisme de sa composition.

The inauguration of this garden was held on october 28th in the presence of 350 guests from the owner: the French Foreign Minister Mr. Laurent Fabius.
Marcel Vrignaud was honored to be invited by the Ministry Department to present an ikebana at the many personalities and the guest of honor: Mr. Yoichi Masuzoe, Governor of Tokyo, a great friend of France, accompanied by the Japanese Ambassador to France, Mr. Yoichi Suzuki.
Mr. Masuzoe was very interested by the composition made with branches of ginkgo biloba in autumn colors, mainly because of the presence of a leaf logo from "the tree with forty crowns" inside his business card!... He asked several questions to Marcel Vrignaud about the symbolism of his arrangement.

Le gouverneur a posé des questions à Marcel Vrignaud à propos de son arrangement d'ikebana.
Governor Masuzoe asked Mr Vrignaud questions about his Ikebana arrangement.

 Dans l'orangerie entièrement restaurée, une exposition regroupait plusieurs disciplines présentées par une équipe de Japonais et d'Européens. Tout d'abord une spectaculaire installation de 6 mètres de haut, réalisée uniquement en éclisse de bambou, sans aucune armature ni support. Le créateur, Tanabe Shouchiku III, qui signifie "Nuage de bambou", est très connu au Japon pour ses œuvres directement issues des techniques traditionnelles, transmises de génération en génération. La plupart sont fonctionnelles et destinées à l'art de l'ikebana et de la cérémonie de thé.
Ses autres œuvres appartiennent à la création contemporaine comme la sculpture réalisée dans l'orangerie. D'autres créations étaient présentées dans le cadre de la villa Kuroyama, villa Médicis de l'Orient, qui a ouvert ses portes sur les collines de Kyoto en octobre 2014, grâce au soutien de Monsieur Pierre Bergé et de la Fondation Bettencourt-Schueller.
In the orangerie house fully restaured, an exhibition brings together several disciplines represented by a team of Japanese and Europeans. First, a spectacular installation of 6 meters high, made of bamboo spints only, without any reinforcement or framework. The creator,Tanabe Shuchiku III, meaning "bamboo cloud", is well known in Japan for his work directly from traditional techniques passed down from generation to generation. Most are functional for the art of ikebana and traditional tea ceremony. His other works belong to contemporary art, like the sculpture made in the orangery house.
Other creations were displayed as part of the villa Kujoyama, villa Médicis of the East, which opened its doors on the hills of Kyoto in october 2014, with the support of Mr. Pierre Bergé and the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation.

Installation de Tanabe Shouchiku III en bambou. Bamboo installation, Tanabe Shouchiku III creation.

Kakemono moderne. Modern kakemono


Durant les quatre jours suivant l'inauguration, Marcel Vrignaud a poursuivi chaque jour ses démonstrations pour les nombreux visiteurs.
Malheureusement cet espace n'est pas ouvert au public, étant propriété du Gouvernement français. Pour cette raison voici quelques photos de ces journées qui se sont déroulées sous un joli soleil d'automne.
During the four days after the inauguration, Marcel Vrignaud continued its daily demonstrations for the visitors.
Unfortunately, the site is not open to the public, being the property of the French Government.
Therefore, find some photos of these days, which took place under a nice autumn sun.

Marcel Vrignaud Founder and President Ohara School France Chapter. Dean of European Ohara Masters.

Démonstration d'ikebana. Ikebana demonstration

Démonstration de panier en bambou. Bamboo basket demonstration

Le jardin du Domaine de la Celle Saint-Cloud et ses sculptures. View of the garden and his sculptures



Un ikebana Rimpa, dans la maison de l'Orangerie. Rimpa arrangement inside orangerie house




mercredi 25 novembre 2015

OPERATION « UN ARBRE POUR LE CLIMAT » : Déjà 15 522 arbres plantés !



« A la Sainte Catherine, tout bois prend racines.» A cinq jours de l’ouverture officielle des négociations internationales de la COP21, le 25 novembre marque un point d’orgue dans l’opération « Un arbre pour le climat ». Avec déjà 15 522 arbres plantés dans plus de 350 communes, et avec l’engagement des plus hautes instances de l’Etat, l’opération lancée en juin dernier prend une ampleur sans précédent. Une initiative portée par la LPO, la Fondation Yves Rocher – Institut de France et l’Association des maires de France et des présidents d'intercommunalité, en partenariat avec le programme Cité Verte de VAL'HOR, l’interprofession française de l’horticulture et du paysage, et avec le concours des Eco Maires. Rendez-vous le 25 novembre pour des plantations partout en France !

Les parrains de l’opération, l’actrice, réalisatrice et chanteuse, Mélanie Laurent, ainsi que le responsable du Domaine national du Trianon et du Grand Parc de Versailles, Alain Baraton, se réjouissent de ces soutiens de taille. « Plus que jamais, nous avons besoin d’unir nos forces pour apporter des réponses concrètes au dérèglement climatique. Cette initiative est celle de tous, élus et société civile ; l’urgence est là, ces arbres en sont le reflet ».
  « Après la Révolution française et avec la Déclaration des droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen, les communes de France ont planté les arbres de la Liberté. Les « arbres du climat » rappellent aujourd’hui à tous la nécessité d’un accord fort et ambitieux sur le climat » explique Allain Bougrain Dubourg, président de le LPO et au nom de tous les partenaires.

Un arbre pour le climat et la COP21
En effet, du 30 novembre au 11 décembre 2015, la France accueillera et présidera la 21e Conférence des parties de la Convention-cadre des Nations unies sur les changements climatiques (COP21). Dans ce cadre, les coorganisateurs ont lancé en juin dernier une grande opération de mobilisation des citoyens et des territoires. Le principe ? Appeler l’ensemble des communes de France à planter un arbre avant l’ouverture de la COP.  
Car planter un arbre, choisi selon les spécificités locales du territoire, est un message clair pour la COP 21, un symbole puissant pour les habitants d’une commune, qui incarne l’espoir de préserver la planète pour les générations à venir. Une opération qui se poursuit se poursuivra jusqu’en décembre. Il est encore temps de se mobiliser.

 Plantations, demandez le programme !
Plus de 350 communes, entreprises, écoles etc. se sont déjà engagées en plantant un arbre.
Quelques temps forts à venir :
- Des plantations dans de nombreux arrondissements de Paris le 25 novembre
- Une plantation à Strasbourg le 30 novembre
- Une plantation au ministère des Outre-Mer le 11 décembre

Pour plus d’informations sur les plantations près de chez vous, venez consulter la carte interactive des plantations prévus sur le site :
www.unarbrepourleclimat.fr/carte-des-initiatives/ 

mardi 20 octobre 2015

11th International Bonsai & Suiseki meeting, Crespi Cup 2015: a stage show of nature





 It’s been 20 years since the first Crespi Cup, an event created with the aim of supporting the spread of bonsai and arts related thereto
The 11th International Bonsai & Suiseki Meeting - Crespi Cup 2015 ended in Parabiago (Milan) on September 20th. Over the years this event grew presenting works on display each time more and more exceptional and of high level, so as to become the Crespi Cup one of the events dedicated to the bonsai and suiseki most famous and prestigious in the world.
If the purpose is to spread in Europe the culture of bonsai and suiseki, also this year this result was reached judging by the excellent number of visitors and the large participation by over 200 exhibitors from all over Italy and several European countries (Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, England, Belgium), who have exhibited the best pieces of their collections, also covering thousands of kilometres just to reach the exhibition spaces of Crespi Bonsai, set in beautiful Japanese gardens.
An exhibition of high quality that offered to visitors of the 2015 edition with exceptional specimens, old or however mature trees, well cared and worked, by the great expressive character, stones that have been able to immerse the public in natural scenery and amaze an expert as Masayuki Nomura and pots by peculiar colours and shapes but of absolute beauty, displayed together with trees or grasses.

The success of the five exhibitions contest
Thanks to the wide exhibition area it was possible to bring together in one suggestive pavilion the beautiful bonsai of the Enthusiasts’ exhibition, in the first weekend, and Crespi Bonsai and Shohin Cup, the evocative stones of the competition Crespi Suiseki Cup and pots made by enthusiasts of the contest Crespi Pot Cup during the second weekend. The technical and quality level of the exhibited trees was surprisingly high, as even the originality of the pots, which also this year were avant-garde works, displayed together with trees or grasses.
Contests that have provided a considerable jackpots, but that this year in addition to vouchers of 5,000 euro for the winner of the exhibition contest Crespi Bonsai Cup, 1,300 euro for the winner of the exhibition contest Crespi Shohin Cup, 1,000 euro for the winner of the exhibition contest Crespi Shohin Cup, 500.00 euro for the winner of the exhibition contest Crespi Pot Cup, and their cups on which was engraved the name of the winner that will remain in the history of this great event, the winner of the Crespi Bonsai Cup and the winner of the Enthusiasts’ exhibition have won a flight ticket to Japan offered by Cathay Pacific.

The winners of exhibition contests
Crespi Bonsai Cup
1st prize: Paolo Riboli (Pinus mugo) - Italy
2nd  prize: Sergio Del Mese - Crescenzo Fiore (Quercus suber) - Italy, with 85 points
3rd prize: Andrés Álvarez Iglesias (Pinus pentaphylla) - Spain, with 81,6 points
Kaneko Memory Cup: Sergio Del Mese and Crescenzo Fiore (Quercus suber) - Italy
BCI-Bonsai Club International Prize:Lorenzo Agnoletti (Pinus mugo) - Italy
Merit Notes:Gino Costa (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa) - Italy. Mauro Stemberger (Pinus sylvestris) - Italy. Gino Costa (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa) - Italy. Carlo Riva (Pinus sylvestris) - Italy | Fabio Mantovani (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa) - Italy

Crespi Bonsai Cup
 1st prize: Paolo Riboli (Pinus mugo) - Italy

Paolo Riboli won the 1st prize of the Crespi Bonsai Cup


Sergio Del Mese won the 2nd prize
of the Crespi Bonsai Cup and the
Kaneko Memory Cup

Crespi Bonsai Cup
 2nd  prize: Sergio Del Mese - Crescenzo Fiore (Quercus suber)
- Italy




















Crespi Bonsai Cup 
3rd prize: Andrés Álvarez Iglesias (Pinus pentaphylla)
- Spain


Andrés Álvarez Iglesias won the
3rd prize of the Crespi Bonsai Cup






















BCI-Bonsai Club International Prize:
 Lorenzo Agnoletti (Pinus mugo) - Italy




Merit Notes: Mauro Stemberger (Pinus sylvestris) - Italy
Merit Notes:
Gino Costa (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa)
 - Italy.





Merit Notes:
  Fabio Mantovani (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa)
 - Italy
Merit Notes:
  Carlo Riva (Pinus sylvestris) - Italy




 
















 
Crespi Shohin Cup


 1st prize: Roberto Semprini (Olea europaea) - Italy, with 87,5 points

 2nd prize: Paolo Dassetto (Juniperus chinensis) - Italy, with 81,65 points

 3rd prize (ex-aequo): Federico Avellina (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa) – Italy | Luis Vallejo (Zelkova serrata) – Spain, with 80 points

 Merit Notes: Andrea Scarenzi (Diospyros kaki) - Italy


Crespi Shohin Cup
 1st prize: Roberto Semprini (Olea europaea) - Italy

Crespi Shohin Cup
 2nd prize: Paolo Dassetto (Juniperus chinensis) - Italy

Crespi Shohin Cup
 3rd prize (ex-aequo): Federico Avellina
(Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa) – Italy
Crespi Shohin Cup
 3rd prize (ex-aequo):Luis Vallejo (Zelkova serrata) – Spain

Crespi Shohin Cup
 Merit Notes: Andrea Scarenzi (Diospyros kaki) - Italy

 



Crespi Suiseki Cup 

1st prize: Ettore Gardini (Sansui kei-seki) - Italy, with 96 points

 2nd prize (ex-aequo):  Paolo Dassetto (Sajigawa-ishi) - Italy | Virna Marchi (Sansui kei-seki) - Italy, with 94 points

3rd prize (ex-aequo): Andrea Cortella (Kinzan-seki) - Italy | Enzo Ferrari (Mizutamari-ishi) - Switzerland, with 90 points
BCI-Bonsai Club International Prize: Igor Carino (Yamagata-ishi) - Italy

Crespi Suiseki Cup
1st prize: Ettore Gardini (Sansui kei-seki) - Italy,

Crespi Suiseki Cup
 2nd prize (ex-aequo):
 Virna Marchi (Sansui kei-seki) - Italy,

Crespi Suiseki Cup 
 2nd prize (ex-aequo):
 Paolo Dassetto (Sajigawa-ishi) - Italy

Crespi Suiseki Cup 
3rd prize (ex-aequo):
Andrea Cortella (Kinzan-seki) - Italy

Crespi Suiseki Cup 
3rd prize (ex-aequo): Enzo Ferrari (Mizutamari-ishi) - Switzerland

BCI-Bonsai Club International Prize:
Igor Carino - Italy

BCI-Bonsai Club International Prize:
Igor Carino (Yamagata-ishi) - Italy

Crespi Pot Cup

1st prize: Matias Abel Pera - Italy, with 100 points
2nd prize (ex-aequo): Igor Carino | Piero Cantù - Italia, with 96,6 points
3rd prize: Luciano Ambrosetti - Italy, with 80 points 


 Crespi Pot Cup
 1st prize: Matias Abel Pera - Italy,



Enthusiasts’ Competition 


1st prize: Rocco Zinghinì (Pinus sylvestris) - Italy, with 88,3 points 
2nd prize (ex-aequo): Alessandro Geraci (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa) and Giulio Corti (Pinus pentaphylla)  – Italy, with 78,3 points
3rd prize: Roberto Licini (Buxus) - Italy, with 76,7 points
 Masakuni Cup, for the best deciduous tree: Silvio Brocchetti (Acer palmatum Viridis) – Italy
 Yokohama Cup, for the best conifer:  Matteo Martin (Juniperus Hokkaido) – Italy


Rocco Zinghinì won the 1st prize
 of the Enthusiast' competition.
Enthusiast' competition
1st prize: Rocco Zinghinì (Pinus sylvestris)
 - Italy





Enthusiasts’ Competition
 2nd prize (ex-aequo):
Alessandro Geraci (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa)
Enthusiasts’ Competition
 2nd prize (ex-aequo):
Alessandro Geraci - Italy




Enthusiasts’ Competition
  2nd prize (ex-aequo): Giulio Corti,
 Italy

Enthusiasts’ Competition
 2nd prize (ex-aequo): Giulio Corti (Pinus pentaphylla),
 Italy


Enthusiasts’ Competition:
3rd prize: Roberto Licini (Buxus), Italy







Enthusiasts’ Competition
 Masakuni Cup, for the best deciduous tree:
Silvio Brocchetti, Acer palmatum Viridis, Italy









Enthusiasts’ Competition
 Masakuni Cup, for the best deciduous tree:
Silvio Brocchetti, Italy



 
Enthusiasts’ Competition
 Yokohama Cup, for the best conifer:
 Matteo Martin, Juniperus Hokkaido, Italy
 
Enthusiasts’ Competition
 Yokohama Cup, for the best conifer:
 Matteo Martin, Italy



The great guests protagonists at the Crespi Cup
Many super guests present on this occasion: from Japan the master Shinsaku Yamahata who considers the bonsai not a profession but a personal enrichment, with his assistant Jun Imabayashi, and Masayuki Nomura, great expert of suiseki, who gave new ideas for suiseki display; it is instead arrived from California Fred Olsen, ceramist world famous who studied from Tomimoto Kenkichi (Japanese National Treasure), who held a conference and a demonstration on ceramics.
Special guest for bonsai was then the master Shinsaku Yamahata, the great artist of the contemporary bonsai, who surprised the public who awaited the first performance in Italy, offering an unique approach to his creative style, always looking for the potentiality of the tree, to bring out the character and turn it into a masterpiece bonsai. Yamahata held several demonstrations and workshops facing processes of dry wood to give naturalness and charm to bonsai in processing and proposing a study on the tree in order to recognize its future and potential.
Two were the special demonstrations of master Yamahata, one dedicated to the processing of the Juniperus sabina phoenicea, to which was able to extrapolate the exceptional character hidden, the other to the reshaping of a Taxus baccata to turned to exemplary already of high level to a bonsai worthy of being exposed!
To Shinsaku Yamahata, busy with technical demonstrations and workshops, have been joined by the great personalities of the European bonsai: Edoardo Rossi with a conference on the Kazari - the art of bonsai and suiseki display - subject of his next book coming out with Crespi Editori, Igor Carino and Gaetano Settembrini who held demonstrations and courses dedicated to bonsai and grasses on wood and rock, all well attended. 
It was also present the master Nobuyuki Kajiwara with the students of the Crespi’s school, the University of Bonsai, who gave advices and exchanged views with the many enthusiasts welcomed in the space dedicated to them.





One of the Shinsaku Yamahata's demonstrations
with his assistant Jun Imabayashi
 





 












Yamahata's workshop.



Masayuki Nomura, great expert of suiseki,
gave new ideas for suiseki display
Fred Olsen (California), ceramist world famous,
held a demonstration on ceramics.

Edoardo Rossi held a conference on the Kazari,
the art of bonsai and suiseki display.

Igor Carino held courses dedicated
to grasses on wood and rock.

Demonstrations, didactics activities and shows
The program of this edition has been particularly intense and especially involving both for enthusiasts and for those who wanted to approach nature, observing the rhythms and changes through a small tree grown in pots.
The International Bonsai & Suiseki Meeting is born from these assumptions and aims to approaching people to this world, going through the paths and oriental disciplines, which through the same road.
That's why presenting the world of bonsai we embrace aspects of Japanese and Eastern culture, giving visitors the opportunity to discover new forms of art, fully enjoying the time spent in the magnificent spaces and gardens of Crespi Bonsai. Planned activities related to bonsai and more generally to the Japanese and Eastern culture have allowed all visitors to range from didactic sessions to demonstrations, from conferences to the practice of oriental arts to shows offered in the two weekends of the event: the taiko - Japanese drums - to the Japanese folk and contemporary music; from the cooking with wagashi, sushi and tea to sumi-e and shodō moving to the painting and calligraphy world, ranging from courses and workshops, dedicated also to children both of bonsai and origami, and performances of martial arts, among that particularly appreciated were those of Korean sword and kyudo.

The meeting with Giampiero Raganelli - film critic - was addressed to Japanese cinema especially dedicated to nature and its elements, and to entertain the little ones was Pino Zema with kamishibai, an ancient form of Japanese story.
During the event was also exposed an inedited exhibition of Japanese postmarks, who identified the various departure city, applied to postcards or envelopes between 1881 and 1888, conceived and staged by Lorenzo Sonzini.

A positive result, exceeding all the expectations
Luigi Crespi at the awards ceremony which took place Saturday, September 19th, during the gala dinner, at compendium of this eleventh edition of the Crespi Cup, wanted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this long-lived event. In these eleven editions we had the chance to see on display exceptional works, to meet new friends and at the same time become one of the events dedicated to bonsai and suiseki best known in the world”.
He talked about the evolution of the art of bonsai and amazing achievements in the West, results also gained thanks to this type of exhibitions: The evolution had in recent years in the bonsai world in the West is a remarkable achievement. And if evolution is synonymous with the future, let me say that I'm really proud to witness this incredible achievement”, he said. Speech ended with a special thank for his family, his whole staff, the excellent guests who have held the attention of many visitors from all over Italy and from many European countries and the many participants to the contests who proposed their best trees, stones and pots for the display.