A reflective workshop that opens up new perspectives for your territory, your company, your brand and your products.
What is an imaginary?
Gilbert Durand believes that all reason, whatever it may be, is always developed from the soil of the imagination and he gives the following definition: « The imagination designates the set of images, linguistic and visual, underpinned by intimate beliefs and values which allow a relationship with the world. »
The term « imaginary » has had various meanings during its historical-conceptual evolution according to Valentina Grassi . At first, the notion of « imaginary » was opposed to that of « real » to be relegated to the domain of the unreal, the « chimerical ». Later, in the same way, the term was considered synonymous with imagination and fantasy. During the 20th century, on the other hand, other theories have reconsidered the imaginary as a dynamic system that influences the representations that each person has of reality in their socio-cultural context.
It is now accepted that our Western culture is filled with imaginaries that are rooted in myths. These imaginaries influence our representation of the world, even in our daily choices: transportation, energy, travel, etc.
The fresco of the imagination allows us to project ourselves into a responsible and desirable future
According to the Observatory of Imaginations Obsoco, France suffers from a lack of ideals, a deficit of collective objectives to achieve, a breakdown in the desire for the future, while modernity now reveals its dark side, even though its environmental and social impacts are clear.
The relationship between humans and nature structures our imaginations. However, modernity has pitted nature against humans, with imaginaries of the collapse of our civilization or a return to a wild world. Reconnecting with nature is essential for projecting ourselves into the future with other imaginaries.
« It is by becoming aware of the living that humans become capable of grasping the « fabric » of the living in its interdependencies, and the « river » of the living in its continuity since the appearance of life on Earth. Now, it is this weaving and these dynamics that make the Earth habitable for us and for others, and we understand from this that it is these that must be defended, and taken care of. » Baptiste Morizot.
The ambition of the Fresque des Imaginaires is to allow utopian ecological imaginaries to regain their rightful place alongside overexploited dystopian imaginaries. We thus work towards a popular ecology in the face of the ecology of constraint perceived as punishment by some. Moreover, the foundation of ecological solidarity lies in reconciliation with nature, of which humanity is an integral part, with the capacity to contribute to it in a positive way.
By expanding the pool of imaginations exploited by businesses and local communities, we are opening up new avenues of mobilization in favor of ecology that are rooted in the living and new avenues of innovation that are both responsible and desirable, such as products and services resulting from regenerative practices.
The IPBES has identified four relationships with nature that condition our representation of the world *
The multicentric imagination, also called pluricentric to emphasize that everyone integrates the point of view of others in the pursuit of mutual benefit, is that of regeneration. Regeneration is taking care of oneself, others, and nature. Without exclusion, by integrating all living beings in a territory.
* Supplemented by the work of Nicole Huybens
Inspired by these 4 ways of relating to nature, we have identified 4 avenues for innovation, 2 of which carry utopian imaginaries that have the potential to mobilize on a large scale in addition to the others.
The fresco of the imagination allows us to project a responsible and desirable future
The fresco of the imagination allows you to open up new perspectives for your territory, your company, your brand and your products .
Indeed, this fresco is structured around four imaginaries of ecology to take us out of the most exploited dystopian imaginaries and open up utopian imaginaries by working on the different relationships that each of us can maintain with ourselves, with others and with nature.
Thus, the fresco of the imaginary motivates collective action by allowing us to visualize responsible and desirable futures that promote team cohesion, that allow us to design an aspirational brand platform and to innovate with products and services that contribute to the environment and society in general.
It is thematic to adapt to specific challenges with illustrated inspiration boards and the intervention of artists. For example: living on Earth in 2050, eating in 2050, dressing in 2050….
The process:
At the beginning of the workshop, the facilitators present the 4 human-nature relationships and the corresponding imaginaries. These imaginaries are illustrated with brands in several sectors of activity and different territories to better project themselves into the future of their team, their brand and their products or services.
Then, the participants are invited to reflect on what is truly important to them, what is fundamental in their relationships with themselves, with others and with nature on this theme.
On this basis, the participants, gathered in teams, imagine how they would like to live, eat, drink, dress, and travel in 2050 by creating collages of images from magazines.
The collages shared at the end of the workshop are all ways to project themselves into the future, in collective intelligence, with all the richness of each person’s different perceptions of ecology.
Ask us for a quote for a tailor-made session
We are deploying the Fresque des Imaginaires in businesses and local communities to help organizations mobilize on ecology, in particular by transforming ecological trends into corporate missions, avenues for brand/product/service innovation and territorial projects carried out with a variety of stakeholders.
To carry out these projects by bringing together a group of stakeholders, we also designed the business model canvas of the regenerative company.
Feedback: Fresco of Imaginaries for CEC Normandy with 70 leaders HERE
Articles to go further
- Presentation of the 4 relationships to nature and the 4 associated imaginary worlds (detailed here)
- The 4 avenues of product/service innovation HERE
- The pioneers of regeneration in France HERE
- Brands and products resulting from regenerative practices: regenerative food , regenerative fashion , regenerative beauty , regenerative wine and champagne , organic and regenerative chocolate , regenerative tourism and regenerative architecture (including construction)
- Transformation focus: giving nature and future generations a seat on its board of directors
- Startup Focus: Impactful startups in the food sector are part of the solution.
- Decryptions of cultural objects based on these 4 imaginary worlds
- In search of responsible and desirable imaginaries https://lnkd.in/g_QUCh9S (genesis of the fresco)
Interview with Jérémy Dumont , designer of the Fresque des Imaginaires by GOODD magazine (here)
What sponsors and participants say
« Looking at the creative paintings of each group, we can clearly see that many of us are on the same wavelength when it comes to inventing other forms of connection with life and society! So it’s possible! »
— Innovation Manager
“The fresco of the imaginary worlds of we are alive really allows us to construct an elsewhere, a prerequisite for moving towards the process of transformation.”
— HR Manager
“This fresco really allows us to construct an elsewhere, a prerequisite for moving towards the transformation process.”
— Participant
« I have a better understanding of complexity, and this allows me to open up to building a common language with my colleagues. Thank you, the fresco of the imaginations of We Are Alive. »
— Participant
NOUS SOMMES VIVANTS, LE COLLECTIF DE LA TRANSITION ÉCOLOGIQUE 
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