Quoting Edgar Morin, “man is a cultural being by nature, because he is a natural being by culture”, Céline Davadan announced that she was ending a 40-year career in places of culture in which she had ” the honor of tracing one’s path, digging one’s furrow, and savoring happiness…
Quoting Edgar Morin, “man is a cultural being by nature, because he is a natural being by culture”, Céline Davadan announced that she was ending a 40-year career in places of culture in which she had ” the honor of tracing one’s path, digging one’s furrow, and savoring the happiness of sowing and reaping”.
The last of these places of culture is the Château d’Abbadia, where she was welcomed 15 years ago by Frédéric Soulu, who succeeds her today as managing director of the Academy of Sciences. “And yes, I succeeded Frédéric Soulu and it is a real pleasure to see him succeed me at Abbadia. A unique, organic and embodied work that invited me to be as simple as possible to observe it, to listen to it because, like a rosetta stone, Abbadia, like our cathedrals, invites us to decipher it, teaches us to understand, to learn and therefore to know in order to share better,” says Céline Davadan.
Art, science, spirituality
Céline Davadan retraced the places of culture in which she had the pleasure of working. The first was the Palace of Discovery built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and dedicated to fine arts and science. “At the Palais de la Découverte, the invisible becomes visible. Theoretical and conceptual science materializes and takes shape. The demonstrators there are the pioneers of what will become cultural mediation. One of these demonstrators leads planetarium sessions at the Palais de la Découverte and his name is Frédéric Soulu. And yes, already! “, narrates Céline Davadan.
She continues the story of her career with the Musée des Arts et Métiers founded by Abbé Grégoire in 1794: “Science and spirituality are associated to democratize education and present “new and useful” inventions as Abbé Grégoire called them. “.
Art, science and spirituality thus pursue Céline Davadan who arrived in Hendaye in 2008 and found these three components in Abbadia’s tripod. “I would like to express my immense gratitude to the academic geographer and permanent secretary, Jean Dercourt, who trusted me and understood everything about the interior geographies of Abbadia. I express all my gratitude to the wonderful team that welcomed me 15 years ago, starting with Frédéric Soulu” expressed Céline Davadan with emotion.
A new commitment
Her road does not stop there, because she is embarking on a new trajectory as an active and voluntary retiree in the service of the heritage foundation in the Basque Country. “We are smugglers. There were some before us, we are here today and there will be others tomorrow,” she concludes.
Finally, Frédéric Soulu, a little at home in the kitchens of the castle where this ceremony took place, promised: “project manager for the Academy of Sciences, I will be a successor in the paths traced by Céline”.
In the castle kitchen, Céline Davadan passes the reins to Frédéric Soulu
Edith Anselme