Ciento cincuenta millones de años 2018

Francis Naranjo made this artwork called Ciento cincuenta millones de años. So, here we have a rock inside a transparent box. I wonder where Francis found it. Was he walking somewhere, and did something in particular catch his eye? Did he instantly know that this was the stone? I’m thinking about all the decisions Francis had to make when he put it in a box. Is it a way to preserve the rock for years to come? It certainly puts emphasis on it! Encasing things gives them special attention, like the stone is something precious. Maybe he is thinking about what it means to take something from the earth and put it in a gallery. He may even be pondering the human need to preserve and interpret objects. It makes me reflect on how artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time.