Welcome to the Symbiocene!

What if we changed our perspective on our place among living beings? This is the challenge proposed by Symbiocene, an artistic and scientific project conceived by Sandrine Salzard as part of Bourges 2028 – European Capital of Culture. Developed in collaboration with the Bourges Museum of Natural History, this program invites you on a journey through the arts, ancestral knowledge, and ecological explorations to envision a new era—one that is more respectful of nature.
 

Symbiocene, symbio… what?

Anthropocene, Symbiocene… At first glance, these concepts may seem abstract. But it’s worth taking a moment to understand and embrace them—they are essential for rethinking how we inhabit the Earth.

• The Anthropocene refers to the current era, defined by the destructive dominance of human activities over the planet.
• The Symbiocene, on the other hand, offers an alternative: a world where we live in symbiosis with nature, drawing inspiration from its systems and from cultures that have always respected it.

This vision is not some distant utopia. Across the five continents, ancestral peoples—often called the “guardians of the Earth“—bear this name for a reason. Even today, they protect 80% of the world’s natural resources. How have they succeeded where so many others have failed? By fostering a deep relationship with all living beings—one that chooses coexistence over domination.

“We realize that we will need them for the transition. That’s why, as part of Bourges 2028, we will regularly welcome representatives of these peoples,” explains Sandrine Salzard, artistic curator of Bourges 2028, in an interview with Berry Républicain.

Bourges 2028 is not just talking about ecology. We want to embody it, celebrate it, and reinvent it with those who have always lived in harmony with the Earth.

A series of meetings began last week with Odmaa Suk, a Mongolian shaman and Earth rights activist, hosted at the Bourges Museum of Natural History.
The goal of these meetings? To open a dialogue between their ancestral knowledge, science, and contemporary art in order to imagine a new ecological narrative—one that is more embodied, more sensitive, where humans reclaim their place within the living world.

This great conversation will reach its peak at the end of 2028, with the closing of Bourges 2028 and the ceremony of the rights of the Earth. A unique moment in which we will invite representatives from the world’s First Peoples to carry a strong message together: that of a humanity reconciled with its ecosystem.

Welcome to the Symbiocene!