The Lautaret Garden in France is one of Europe’s highest-altitude botanical gardens, sitting 2,100m above sea level and facing the La Meije glaciers. It houses over 2,000 plant species from the world’s tallest peaks, including the Alps, Andes, Himalayas and Rockies, and has been a centre for research and conservation since the 19th century. Marine Lanier (b. 1981), this year’s Paris Photo Maison Ruinart Prize-winner, spent time there alongside ecologists, gardeners and scientists, where she developed large-scale images of its flora. The result is Le Jardin d’Hannibal – so named for the epic tales of Hannibal, said to have crossed the Lautaret pass during his campaign against Rome. Lanier’s pictures recall the pioneering works of Anna Atkins and Karl Blossfeldt, whilst establishing a phantasmagorical aesthetic – led by colour, light and shadow – all her own. The artist captures vegetation at nightfall, as well as minerals which glitter under the blazing midday sun. @marinelanier
Image Credits:
1&2. Marine Lanier, Jungle #1, from the series L’Habit de naufrage, (2021). Image courtesy of the artist.
3. Marine Lanier, Herbier #24, from the series Le Jardin d’Hannibal, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
4. Marine Lanier, Les Pierres #1, from the series Le Jardin d’Hannibal, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
5. Marine Lanier, Végétation #11, from the series Le Jardin d’Hannibal, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
6. Marine Lanier, Herbier #2, from the series Le Jardin d’Hannibal, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
7. Marine Lanier, Herbier #8, from the series Le Jardin d’Hannibal, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
8. Marine Lanier, Végétation #19, from the series Le Jardin d’Hannibal, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
9. Marine Lanier, Herbier #10, from the series Le Jardin d’Hannibal, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
10. Marine Lanier, Anémone #2, from the series Le Jardin d’Hannibal, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
11. Marine Lanier, Agaves, from the series Le Saut de l’ange, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist.
