Nathalie Rey

The systematization of trade, which occurred early in the evolution of human societies, has led to the creation of specific places able to handle these complex exchanges: the cities. But as soon as they appeared, they had to face the inevitable threat that hangs over any structure that claims to accumulate wealth and power. Thus, the history of cities is marked by looting, the construction of protective walls, the confinement of populations during lengthy months of siege, curfews, bombardments, destruction.

"State of siege" refers in a roundabout and ironic way to this violence absolutely inseparable from the existence of urban agglomerations and is based on the very recent experience of confinement of the population on a global scale linked to the covid pandemic. Among all the consequences that confinement have had on the urban environment, Rey, in the continuity of previous work, was interested in the phenomenon of reappropriation by nature of built spaces and in particular the incongruous incursions of wild animals into cities deserted by their inhabitants. With the humor that characterizes some of her works, Rey turns these isolated and anecdotal incidents into massive and widespread phenomena.

By inverting the terms of the current situation of a nature irreversibly threatened by human activity in the form of some kind of science fiction parable, Rey invites us to reflect on the future of cities in terms of sustainable development.