François Hers co-founded Viva, a cooperative of writers and photographers, in 1972. After traveling to do reportage photography, he soon grew aware of its limits and decided to focus on social issues. He started working with DATAR in 1983, becoming a creative director and photographer for the Mission. At first, he shot pictures of Paris and its suburbs before exploring his relationship with space and nature. In 1990, he finished designing the Nouveaux Commanditaires project, which the Fondation de France rolled out in 1991.