Degré zéro. Reach and Limits of the Artialisation Theory as a Policy Advising Framework
The theory of artialisation developed by Alain Roger (Roger, 1997) is still a conceptual benchmark in landscape theory, particularly in France. This paper briefly reviews the French debate about landscape that was coeval with the emergence of this theory. The definition of landscape implied by Roger’s theory is then submitted to a double criticism,both internal and external. The internal criticism highlights a logical gap in the use of the notion of patrimonialization, which prevents this theory from reaching operativity in the design of landscape policy,although it claims to do so. The second external criticism suggests that this theory does not explain the genesis of landscapes, once again contrary to its claims. In both cases, the gap is due to the missing link between the landscape and its substratum, degré zéro, as Alain Roger has named it.