Pierre Huyghe Nymphéas Transplant, 2014

Unlike the fictional and foreboding environments of his saltwater aquariums, Pierre Huyghe’s fresh water Nymphéas Transplant aquariums are based on the nymphéas (French for “water lilies”) pond ecosystems of Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France, incorporating plants, fish, amphibians, crustaceans and insects typically found in the ponds. Huyghe interpreted the climatic data of Giverny from a given date or time period to design a lighting program for the aquarium, as evident in the titles of the aquariums: Nymphéas Transplant (12.21.1914), which refers to the date December 21, 1914, Nymphéas Transplant (Fall 1917), which refers to Fall 1917 and Nymphéas Transplant (14-18), which refers to the years 1914-1918. The period encompasses the beginning of World War I, as well as the creation of Monet’s famous Water Lilies panoramic installation for the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.

The individual programming in each of the three tanks creates distinct environments: thus the water in the ecosystem of Nymphéas Transplant (14-18) has a greenish color while that in Nymphéas Transplant (Fall 1917) has a slightly amber tint. The color, visibility and level of animal activity is determined by the individual climactic data fed into the programming of the tanks ecosystem.

The glass panels of the aquarium tank are fabricated from “smart glass,” a type of glass that can change from translucent to transparent according to voltage, light or heat. The tank sits on a concrete base. A light box is suspended over the tank, which is controlled by a DMX system. The light box is programmed for eight hours of viewing time (a program abstracted from the climatic data of Giverny on December 21, 1914, Fall 1917 and 1914-1918), followed by eight hours of specialized light to sustain the ecosystem during which time the aquarium glass is opaque. This is followed by eight hours of darkness to create a circadian rhythm for the animals. The timing of these periods is flexible and does not need to correspond to the actual external conditions of the location where it is installed.

The aquatic plants inside the aquarium were procured from the gardens of Latour-Marliac from where Claude Monet originally bought his water lilies. Created in 1870, Latour-Marliac’s gardens are devoted entirely to different species of aquatic plants, particularly the water lily. The aquarium also contains a plant, water lily, stone and microorganisms from Monet’s actual ponds in Giverny.