The Time of Sand: Why It Is Disappearing and What It Changes, by Stéphanie Girardclos

Long considered an abundant and inexhaustible resource, sand is now at the heart of major environmental, economic, and geopolitical issues. This conference aims to provide a better understanding of why this raw material—essential to construction, infrastructure, and numerous industries—has become a strategic resource.

Using an approach that combines geology and environmental science, Stéphanie Girardclos examined the dynamics of sand extraction, its impact on river and coastal ecosystems, and the tensions it generates on a global scale. This event encouraged attendees to take a fresh look at the materials that shape our landscapes and ways of life.

Stéphanie Girardclos is a lecturer and research fellow at the University of Geneva, where she teaches environmental geology and geomorphology. As a specialist in lake sedimentology, she conducts research on the interactions between geological processes and human societies, using sediments as indicators of environmental changes. This conference was organized in partnership with the municipality of Chêne-Bougeries.

Lecture: Prof. Tobias Brosch – Emotions. Art as a catalyst for engagement?

Emotions play a vital role in how we perceive environmental issues and in the decisions we make every day. This lecture explored how art can evoke emotions capable of transforming our relationship with the world and encouraging more sustainable behaviors.

Through a dialogue between art and science, Tobias Brosch draws on research in psychology and cognitive neuroscience to show how emotions influence our choices, values, and commitment. Taking Khalil Berro’s works—notably Toxic Inaction and the BREATHE project—as a starting point, he will explore the capacity of artistic practices to evoke empathy, hope, or even outrage, and to channel these emotions into a driving force for action in the face of ecological challenges.

Tobias Brosch, a professor at the University of Geneva and director of the Consumer Decision and Sustainable Behavior Lab , focuses his research on the emotional and cognitive mechanisms that promote the transition to more sustainable societies. This lecture was organized in partnership with Climate Week, HES-SO Geneva, and the Interfaculty Center for Affective Sciences at the University of Geneva.

The work by Zurich-based artist Khalil Berro, titled BREATHE , was subsequently exhibited at the (re)connecting.earth Biennale