Tout va bien - the world we live in

“The greatest distance in the existence of man is not from here to there, nor from there to here. No, the greatest distance in the existence of man is from his mind to his heart.” Words once said by Inuit Uncle Angaangaq which still ring true when it comes to describing our dilemma in dealing with our environment.

Our mind knows what’s on stake, but we fail to act accordingly. At least not towards the end, that the destruction of the environment and climate change are contained considerably. The outcome – the extinction of numerous species of animal and plant, famine and water crisis, followed by socioeconomic and sociocultural shifts, which endanger the peace of all and the wealth of the privileged nations – is seemingly accepted by us.

This is but only one side of the issue. Yet, there is another side to it. A side, which is made up of countless private initiatives and organisations which pleaded to nourish and protect the planet and its inhabitants. They arouse, inspire, present the planet from its most beautiful and most vulnerable side. Above all, they give us courage.

TOUT VA BIEN wants to show some of these activities in its current issue. One example being the beneficence by Puma-CEO Jochen Zeitz, whose initiative ‘The Long Run’ lines up to prove that holidays in developing countries are both economically feasible as well as cost-effective. Or take the photographer, director and environmental activist Yann Arthus-Bertrand who has been documenting the beauty and violability of the earth with his picture series ‘Die Welt von Oben’ (The World from Above) and his ‘Home’ film, showing us ways ‘into a new century which is cleaner and more equitable’.

Furthermore, Nick Brandt and his enchanting black & white pictures taken in the wild life reserves in Eastern and South Africa. The issue also features the first exhibition of the Alfred Ehrhardt donation and their new habitat in Berlin, in which Alfred Ehrhardt’s nature photography and film studies enter a dialogue with the ‘nature’ motifs of this year’s winner of the ‘World Press Awards’ - Peter Bialobrzeski.

Last but not least, the TOUT VA BIEN portfolio and interview pays homage to the great Italian camera artist Gian Paolo Barbieri, who developed from being a glamorous fashion photographer to sensitive nudes and a portrayer of archaic landscapes and its inhabitants.

In addition, the issue features a debut, the TOUT VA BIEN GALLERY: Exclusive photography chosen to fit the theme – by notable and young artists – which the readers can acquire by contacting the editors. An extra service for both current and aspiring collectors.