Fontaine aux nymphes (Fountain of the Nymphs)

2025

As the winner of the competition launched in 2022 by the Geneva Cantonal Contemporary Art Fund (FMAC) in collaboration with the municipality of Thônex, Lou Masduraud created the sculpture Fontaine aux nymphes in 2025, which is now installed in Marcelly Park. The work is composed of limestone tuff, organic plant matter, marble, and water—materials that transform over time and in response to the elements. Taking the form of a hybrid, anthropomorphized urban fountain, the work reveals fragments of bodies and mouths, evoking both grotesque aesthetics and satire. Its forms, both strange and familiar, immerse the viewer in a phantasmagorical universe where imagination and constantly evolving materiality intertwine. By spouting water—a simple yet vital act—the fountain opens a space for reflection on the global water crisis and the inequalities it engenders. Thus, the Fountain of the Nymphs transcends its utilitarian function to become a meeting place, a critical device, and a living organism, where aesthetics, politics, and ecology intertwine.

Written by: Camille Thibaut