At Gliding Barnacles 2026, Alexandre Farto aka VHILS presented Simbiosis Series #1 and #5, two waterjet-cut steel sculptures that had spent three years underwater. Both were part of Art Reef, a permanent underwater installation of 13 works inaugurated off the coast of Albufeira in 2023. The sculptures were made from industrial materials recovered from decommissioned thermoelectric power stations in Portugal and Spain, turning structures once tied to energy production into the base for new marine habitats. Each piece was designed to work as an artificial reef. Their forms and textures were developed to encourage marine organisms to settle on the surface and to let fish and other species move through the structures. Corals caught in fishing nets were recovered by Plant a Coral, a project of the Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR) at the University of the Algarve, regenerated in the laboratory and implanted directly onto the works. Over time, fish, crustaceans and other marine life colonised the sculptures. The series extends a principle at the core of Vhils' practice, in which existing materials are transformed to reveal new layers. Here the process continued beyond the artist's hand: once submerged, the works kept changing with the sea. In 2026, during maintenance and restoration of the installation, the two sculptures were removed and replaced with new pieces. They now return to the surface carrying the marks of three years on the seabed.