Learning Processes Through Artistic Expression: A Temporary Garden Experience

This article explores the potential of temporary landscape design as a tool for research and public engagement, presenting the experience of the project “Danseuse Plastique,” developed for the third edition of the Festival des Jardins de la Côte d’Azur. Drawing on the framework of Research through Design (RTD), the project emphasizes the dual roles of design: as an investigative process and as a medium for fostering dialogue on pressing environmental and societal issues. “Danseuse Plastique” integrates artistic expression, ecological awareness, and Mediterranean cultural heritage to create a 200 m2 ephemeral garden. The design process, informed by a critique of anthropocentric practices, combines symbolic elements, such as a mass of plastic waste representing environmental degradation and a multisensorial “secret garden” symbolizing resilience, fragility and hope, with site-specific features. Inspired by Henri Matisse’s collage “Danseur,” the project reinterprets the artist’s vision through spatial and material experimentation. His research on the complementarity between the shape-surface and the void-surface, was the inspiration for creating a dialogue, bridging the realms of art and nature. The article highlights the importance of circularity in temporary installations, achieved by repurposing materials post-dismantlement, and the engagement of the public as active participants in the garden’s life. Visitors interacted with the design elements, sparking reflection on pollution, migration, and human impact on natural ecosystems. However, the communication of complex themes, such as the Mediterranean’s humanitarian crisis, posed challenges, underscoring the need for deeper engagement strategies in public installations. Ultimately, this experience underscores the value of small-scale, ephemeral projects in generating knowledge, fostering public awareness, and advancing sustainability. The ex-post reinterpretation of this design experience provides an opportunity to propose a broader discourse on the intersection of collective learning processes through public art environments. It reaffirms the capacity of landscape design to act as a platform for critical discourse, offering inclusive spaces for interaction, reflection, and learning.