French artist Pierre Huyghe creates more than art. Born in Paris and residing in New York, he crafts immersive environments of various cognitive forms. They are complex systems in which symbolic and real agents evolve together in an unstable and dynamic web consisting of both living and inanimate objects that are interdependent and self-organising.
Huyghe has been quoted as saying that he does not want to exhibit something to someone, but rather to exhibit someone to something. This is evident in his latest fascinating display at the Serpentine Gallery running between October 3, 2018 and February 10, 2019.
Instinctual Behaviours, Emerging Intelligence
LED screens installed around the gallery show images originating in the human mind 
that are captured as viewers are prompted to imagine a specific situation. The process is constantly reconstructed and altered by external environmental factors at play, such as light, humidity, temperature changes, insect activity, and visitors’ behaviour. To accommodate this visionary artist, the gallery was (only subtly) altered to effectively influence the exhibition. The walls were sanded and the dust from previous exhibitions was left on the floor. The central gallery was transformed into an incubator that births flies that travel towards the middle of the dome. Yes, this latest grand exhibition by this acclaimed artist contains thousands of live flies.
Creating New Remarkable Realities
Huyghe has once again lived up to his reputation of delivering unsettling visionary installations. The show turned the gallery into a porous host showcasing the intriguing artist’s creative ideas. The Serpentine assures visitors that the utmost care has been taken to ensure the welfare of both the flies and the gallery’s patrons as their brain activity is captured while taking in the artistic experience.
Dana Sheves - Contemporary Art Blog 