On the occasion of Fog Tree #07031, Honfleur, presented until September 27, 2026 at the Jardin des Personnalités in Honfleur, under the curatorship of Philippe Platel, Fujiko Nakaya looks back on her artistic approach in a video made as part of the series Impressions d'artistes.
A pioneering figure in environmental art, Fujiko Nakaya has been developing a body of work based on fog since the 1970s, using it as her artistic medium. Her installations, created from fine water droplets, are constantly evolving under the influence of wind, temperature, and atmospheric conditions. Elusive and ephemeral, they invite the public to walk through the artwork and experience it physically.
With Fog Tree #07031, Honfleur, the artist installs his Norman fog in the Jardin des Personnalités, on the banks of the Seine, facing the passage of container ships. Conceived during a residency at the Ferme Saint Siméon, where Claude Monet himself stayed 150 years earlier, this work connects the history of the Honfleur landscape with a contemporary creation that reveals its ever-changing character.
Fujiko Nakaya's work resonates with Claude Monet's research on atmospheric phenomena. Where the painter sought to translate onto canvas the fleeting impressions produced by light, clouds, or fog, the Japanese artist chooses to create directly with natural elements. Her work does not represent fog: it makes it appear, transforms it, and accepts that it partially escapes her control.
In this video, Fujiko Nakaya discusses the genesis of Fog Tree #07031, Honfleur , and shares her vision of art based on impermanence. She evokes the relationship between her installation, the Honfleur landscape, and the Impressionist legacy, inviting viewers to an experience where the artwork is discovered as much through sight as through sensation.
Due to the current drought affecting the region, the installation is temporarily suspended, in agreement with the City of Honfleur and in order to conserve water resources. Visible for six weeks, the artwork has already attracted nearly 25,000 visitors. It may be reopened when conditions permit.
With the support of the patronage of Caisse des Dépôts, the Yoshino Gypsum Foundation andETRIA.
