Trecento Millioni di anni (Three Hundred Million Years) 1969

Giovanni Anselmo made this sculpture, ‘Trecento Millioni di anni’, which translates to ‘Three Hundred Million Years,’ using a rock, some wire, and a piece of lettuce. The rock, I guess, is the main protagonist here, and the lettuce is this bright, almost shocking white, folded and pushed into the rock. Anselmo’s choice of materials feels very physical, very present. You can almost smell the earthiness of the rock and the freshness of the lettuce. It’s this strange and almost humorous combo that makes it so compelling. Look at how the wire is wrapped around the lettuce, securing it tightly to the rock! It's like a little ecosystem, this interplay of ancient geological time and the fleeting lifespan of a salad. It reminds me a bit of the work of Joseph Beuys. Anselmo invites us to consider the world around us, to see the poetry in unexpected juxtapositions, and to embrace the beauty of impermanence. It is art that speaks to our shared humanity and our place in the vast, ever-changing tapestry of time.