Pays’Âges : Tapestries as historical records in a national monument

Pays’Âges reveals the identity of ‘at-risk’ territories — caught between immersion, the human footprint and the loss of biodiversity — from a unique artistic perspective: that of the sky.

Through this local, travelling project, Dorian Étienne has created a unique collection of large-scale, three-dimensional tapestries that serve as testaments to the topography and natural wealth of each region. Created on site using local and natural materials, these monumental works are powerful snapshots of a world undergoing profound ecological transformation. But Pays’Âges is much more than an art collection. It is a participatory project in which local residents learn, alongside the artist, the traditional techniques of tufting and plant-based dyeing, before taking an active role in showcasing their region.

These creations will be reproduced in several decades’ time and exhibited as diptychs alongside the original works, offering a unique artistic record of the region’s ecological and societal evolution. Each tapestry is also accompanied by a projection of the landscape as it will appear in 50 years’ time, inviting reflection on the future of our environment.

Over the years, Pays’Âges will support local initiatives dedicated to the protection and promotion of biodiversity, landscapes and the environment, combining art, commitment and collective memory.

A graduate of the École Boulle, Dorian Étienne founded his eponymous design studio in Paris in 2019. There, he combines art and artisanal craftsmanship through a humanist and eco-responsible approach. Rooted in diverse regions, both near and far, he draws his inspiration from cultures, histories, techniques and materials. The richness of the world’s cultural heritage informs each of his projects. Guided by this connection between humanity and nature, he creates “hybrid objects” that are both evocative and meaningful.

The studio’s work centres on several key areas: the creation of sustainable and innovative products for publishers; self-publishing for galleries; bespoke commissions; educational programmes in schools and institutions; and international creative residencies.

In the space of three years, around ten of his projects have been recognised with design, architecture and art awards in New York, Paris, Berlin, London, Saint Petersburg, Seoul, Mumbai and elsewhere