Rita Hoofwijk made her first visit to Port Saint Louis du Rhône at the beginning of 2025. The purpose of this initial visit had been to discover the many facets of the Camargue, its dynamics, and its contrasts.
On the first day of the residency, Rita met with Maxime Jeanjean, Head of Environmental Health at the Institut Ecocitoyen. Located in the heart of the industrial-port area of Fos, the Institut Ecocitoyen is a research center focused on studying the environment and the effects of pollution on human health, with the goal of better understanding the risks linked to human activities. During this meeting, the researcher had explained to the artist the types of pollution present in the region and their consequences on the health of local residents. Following this exchange, Rita and a member of Le Citron Jaune set out to visit the industrial and port area.
The following day, a meeting was arranged with environmental philosopher Virginie Maris. She explained in detail the issues surrounding two major projects whose development could profoundly have impacted the Camargue ecosystem: the Arles bypass highway project and the decarbonization project of the industrial site at Fos-sur-Mer.
The third day was devoted to discovering the protected side of the Camargue through a visit to La Tour duValat, a research center dedicated to the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands. There, Rita met with ecologist Arnaud Béchet, who informed her about the ongoing phenomenon of submersion in the Camargue and about the differing positions of the various stakeholders in the region regarding this upheaval.
