Untitled (Made Ecosystem Centre Pompidou) 2013

This untitled aquarium, made by Pierre Huyghe, is a self-contained ecosystem in glass. Rather than using traditional art materials, Huyghe creates a world with water, rocks, fish, and plant matter. Consider how the work's materials influence its appearance. The glass box creates a visual frame, like a picture, setting off the natural forms within. The weight of the rocks contrasts with the buoyancy of the fish. The processes of decay and growth are evident in the driftwood and algae. The fish, of course, are active participants in the work, their movement essential to the piece. Huyghe engages with histories of both scientific display and artistic creation. Aquariums have long been used for scientific observation, but here, that impulse is given an artistic dimension. The work plays with the tension between nature and culture, the wild and the curated. By bringing the natural world into the gallery, Huyghe challenges the distinction between fine art and other forms of creative practice. This approach emphasizes that materials, making, and context are crucial in understanding the full meaning of an artwork.