Where the gaze begins

Seen from behind, a hiker stands facing the mountain. With a pack on his shoulders and his gaze turned toward the peaks, he is not conquering anything; he is contemplating. By choosing this pose, the artist naturally invites the viewer to step into his place. The mural becomes less a portrait of an individual and more a shared experience. Around him, the terrain unfolds in a palette of blues, purples, and pinks that evokes the first or last light of day. The mountains are not depicted with documentary realism, but through broad masses of color that convey a sensation rather than a precise landscape. Light shapes the forms, reminding us how the Alps transform in appearance as the hours and seasons pass. The figure and the landscape engage in a silent dialogue. One appears tiny against the vastness, yet his presence provides a sense of scale to the mountain and underscores the profound bond between man and this land. Here, nature is neither a backdrop nor a challenge: it is a space for observation, wonder, and respect. Installed on the wall of the Flumet *Ressourcerie* (a local reuse center), this work also resonates with the idea of ​​caring for our surroundings. It reminds us that landscapes which seem immutable are, in fact, living and fragile. Before being a horizon to traverse, the mountain is perhaps, first and foremost, a place to be viewed in a new light.