ORIGINS Virtual Photo Exhibit

Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan presents

ORIGINS: a 4.5 billion-year journey

ORIGINS is an exhibition of original photographs that evokes, in a profusion of extraordinary images, evolution and life on our planet. Presented in 2018 at the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, the exhibition unveils the work of photographer Olivier Grunewald and journalist Bernadette Gilbertas. In 2020 the images were presented in a giant format following the architectural forms of the Montreal Planétarium’s unique building. You can now experience this spectacular 4.5-billion-year journey online, narrated by Christine Beaudoin.

Sixty-odd photographs chronicle more than thirty years spent exploring the wildest and most spectacular spaces in the world to bear witness to the earth’s incredible journey. The ORIGINS exhibition unfolds like a chronological tapestry leading the visitor from the primeval chaos to the reign of the living. A moment of pure contemplation, an ode to the raw beauty of our planet which, at the same time, calls us to protect all its biodiversity.

Olivier Grunewald, photographer
Olivier Grunewald is fascinated by the manifestations of the natural world. His various stories have earned him the top prize from the Fondation de la Vocation, four prestigious World Press Photo awards, and multiple International Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards initiated by the Natural History Museum of London. He has also directed several documentaries including Nyiragongo, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Kawah Ijen, the Mystery of the Blue Flames. His latest film, Dallol, On the Frontiers of Life, started airing in autumn 2016.

Bernadette Gilbertas, journalist and writer
Bernadette Gilbertas travels the world with Olivier Grunewald. She developed her passion for discovery during her years in university where she studied, then taught, geography. For 11 years, she managed the Rhône-Alpes Federation for the Protection of Nature. Today, Bernadette is a freelance journalist and writer. Her writings (articles, books, documentaries, exhibitions…) advocate the protection of natural environments and celebrate the men and women—scientists or die-hard activists—who dedicate their lives to this cause. The couple’s daughter has been part of the adventure since birth. A life choice and a family adventure that goes way beyond a mere career path.

Celebrate the power and energy of the Earth, the utter richness of its biodiversity and the breathtaking beauty of its wilderness. ORIGINS

www.espacepourlavie.ca/en/planetarium