From 26th to 28th March 2018 at the Maison des OpenLabs

Prevention Maif and Atelier Arts Sciences came together with the common desire to tackle the issue of risk, which resulted in commissioning this workshop.

Atelier Arts Sciences, with ten years of solid experience in bringing scientists, artists and other partners together to work on common projects, have taken hold of this theme which raises numerous questions.

The workshop was set up following a text by Marc Rigolot, Head of Fondation Maif entitled 'LOVING RISK FOR BETTER EMBRACING IT'.
An excerpt:

"...In a society of knowledge, transparency and sometimes intolerance, risk is the black cat. The evil to be avoided. Knowing it in order to better avoid or conceal it has even become the regulators' obsession, at the risk of immobility. However, taking a risk is an instinctive, inherent part of being human; what a spectacular and high-risk performance is when a toddler starts walking on two feet after crawling on all fours... Looking back in time, how glorious are those who dared the forbidden, challenged ignorance, pushed the boundaries; Icarus, Columbus, Gagarin, and others. Humanity established itself and has progressed thanks to taking risks..."

Drawing on this idea, we tried to find artists and researchers who could suit best these requirements. The artists we have chosen come from various backgrounds; Circassians who take risks every night, actors who have already been working on the idea of a School on Risk and launched a low-tech project related to, and enquiring about science, and finally artists who work on Virtual Reality with the aim of placing new technologies, that the young are so eager for, at the heart of the issue.

Prévention Maif has therefore offered to young people, namely those between the ages of 14 and 22, to work on this project.

Artists, researchers, students and Prévention Maif employees delved into this topic at the Maison des OpenLabs at CEA for three days in order to devise scenarios, new and innovative concepts. Three concepts have emerged from this rich and fertile meeting between different worlds. You can read about them in the following pages.

Laurence Bardini
June 2018

⇒ COMMISSIONER
Established in 1980, Prévention MAIF is a non-profit organisation according to French law 1901, with the aim to raise risk awareness among people in concrete situations. Since December 2015, it has been recognised by the State as an organisation of public interest,
and obtained a second certification from French 'Education Nationale'. Prévention MAIF operates throughout the country via their regional branches helping to contribute to various issues on risk, such as road security, natural and technological risks, household or everyday accidents and digital risks. They promote educational tools and do field work thanks to the 2,000 volunteers that the organisation comprises, mainly in
education.
www.prevention-maif.fr

⇒ STEERING AND ORGANISATION
The Atelier Arts Sciences is a common research and creativity platform joining Hexagone Scène Nationale Arts Sciences and CEA. They gather artists, scientists and more and more firms in joint research projects to enhance artistic creative work thanks to science and new technologies. Atelier also supports firms in their innovation processes
to innovate in new ways as a result of artists' divergent views. Atelier Arts Sciences is part of an ecosystem of OpenLabs comprising ALPS DESIGN LAB and IDEAS LAB.