It is in the presence of the founding president of GBH, Bernard Hayot, as well as his two sons, leaders of the group, Stéphane and Rodolphe Hayot, and Michel Lapeyre, Managing Director Africa–Middle East–Maghreb–Indian Ocean of GBH which was made public, last month, a reference and innovative work on the heritage of Reunion Island which will be a landmark, published by the Clément Foundation, the group's corporate foundation.
The founding president of the GBH group, Bernard Hayot, in person made the trip from the Antilles to mark with his presence the cultural event represented by the publication of the book Le Patrimoine de La Réunion. This six hundred page work, with an encyclopedic aim, presents the heritage of the twenty-four municipalities of the island. It updates, completes and above all enriches Reunion's heritage with new angles of view than a first reference book from the Clément Foundation, The heritage of the communes of Reunion, long out of print had been highlighted in 2000. Bringing together the contributions of 53 authors chosen from among the best specialists, this new work constitutes in itself a tribute to Réunion.
Nearly 1,000 notices and 1,600 photographs
Journey through a series of thematic articles, nearly 1,000 notices and 1,600 photographs, this work was coordinated by Bernard Leveneur, director of the Stella Matutina museum, and Franck Senant, curator of historical monuments. “I am convinced that any initiative that allows the art and culture of a country to shine has repercussions on its development.. Respect heritage, it’s acting for the future”, declared Bernard Hayot on the occasion of the presentation of this work, which gave rise to a launch party bringing together a thousand guests at the Stella Matutina museum.
LANDMARKS
1960 : creation of GBH.
1984 : GBH establishment in Reunion.
1986 : purchase by GBH of Habitation Clément and creation of a collection of works representative of Caribbean creation of recent decades. Important documentary collections bringing together private archives and a library on the history of the Caribbean have been created (see box on next page).
2000 : publication of the work
The heritage of the communes of Reunion.
2005 : creation of the Clément Foundation, GBH corporate foundation.
2011 : Overseas Art Exhibition (OWN) at the Senate orangery, Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. This exhibition of overseas visual artists is organized by the Clément Foundation as part of the Overseas Year.
2023 : publication of the book Le Patrimoine de La Réunion.
THE CLÉMENT FOUNDATION
The Clément Foundation was created by GBH in 2005. Committed to contemporary Caribbean artists, it also manages important documentary collections bringing together private archives, a library of nearly 15,000 volumes and iconographic funds devoted to Martinique and its Caribbean environment. She co-edits works on the art and heritage of Overseas Territories.. GBH's involvement in heritage protection began in the 1980s with the restoration of the Clément dwelling in Martinique.. It continued with the restoration of other historic properties of the group. The Clément Foundation ensures its promotion and opening to the public. Since 2018, she manages, in public service delegation, the Memorial to the disaster of 1902 — the destruction of the town of Saint-Pierre caused by the eruption of Mount Pelée.
Three questions for Bernard Hayot, president of the Clément Foundation
Three questions for Bernard Hayot, president of the Clément FoundationWhy this book on Reunion ?
The Clément Foundation has been working for cultural development since the 1980s, artistic and heritage. This is why we contributed, twenty years ago, to the creation of a work published by Flohic editions and entitled Le Patrimoine des communes de La Réunion. This book, which has become a classic, was unfortunately sold out. It seemed essential to us to completely overhaul it to take into account the evolution of the heritage of Reunion Island.. The partnership with HC éditions made it possible to carry out this vast project thanks to the mobilization of heritage stakeholders in Reunion. I am delighted today to see this tool serving the knowledge and protection of the heritage of Reunion Island available to the public.
What did you discover with this book? ?
First of all, the thickness of the volume testifies to the importance of the heritage of Reunion Island. It is an exhaustive journey through a diversity of heritage which reflects the richness of this territory.. The merit of this book will also have been to call on the best Reunion specialists on these questions. Finally, it constitutes a tribute to all those who make considerable efforts to ensure the conservation of this heritage and make it accessible to as many people as possible.
How important is heritage to you? ?
I began acting in this field in 1986 with the acquisition and restoration of the Clément house in Martinique., where the foundation is housed today. On this site classified as a historic monument, we welcomed in 2019, before the health crisis, more than 200,000 visitors, which shows the public's interest in culture. I am convinced that any initiative that promotes the art and culture of a country has an impact on its development.. Before its obvious tourist interest, heritage firstly constitutes the living environment and the expression of a community’s way of living. Respect heritage, it’s acting for the future. But heritage is not a renewable resource. It's not just about the most spectacular monuments either.. It is also embodied in the most modest constructions, urban complexes which must be preserved as such or in the integrity of the landscapes. The fight for the protection of heritage concerns everyone and begins with knowledge. This is the subject of this book.
