Created by Artist Glenn Kaino and produced in conjunction with Grand Arts Kansas City, Tank is a series of aquariums (tanks) populated by living coral growing on resin-cast fragments of a decommissioned M-60 Patton military tank. The title of this work refers to the word’s dual meaning, but the work extends far beyond the simple play on words.

After WWII, many of these military machines of might were sunk in the ocean intentionally to create artificial foundations for coral reefs. As corals grow, there is slow motion warfare that plays out. This is true whether on a natural reef, an artificial reef, or even in an aquarium. Each organism competes for territory, light, nutrients, water flow and other resources. To survive, corals encroach upon and sting one another and they grow in shapes that maximize their ability to capture resources. The living compositions on each tank casting are coral colonies at war. On a miniature scale the coral’s actions of colonialism mirror those facilitated by the military tank on which they now grow.

Aquamoon is the animal care expert for Glenn Kaino Studio. For this project we cultivated the compositions of living coral and cared for the aquarium systems. During the year leading up to the first showing of the work, our team transplanted tiny coral colonies onto the castings and curated their growth and interactions. We cared for the work during its exhibition in New Orleans and Kansas City and continues to provide animal care services for the project.