600 kg, 2021

Black obsidian
60 x 46 x 83 cm

Stone extracted by Alejandro Catelán at the Sierra de las Navajas.

Produced by  Silvio González

Obsidian is classified by mineralogy as glass since its atoms do not make up a crystalline structure; it is hard and fragile, with an attractive luster, transparent and translucent, but its main characteristic is its straight and sharp type of fracture. Invoking both the fragility and the hardness of obsidian, 600kg is a one-piece stone of more than half a ton hanging from a ceiling. Behind the simplicity of the action lies a rather complex process of extraction, transportation, and treatment of the material, which represents a challenge in the obsidian mining industry. This exercise is conceived as a paradoxical action where chains and tackles contain a material that proposes a glance at the destruction caused by the techniques, processes, and methods used to extract this mineral. Yet, it also suggests the rawness of the material and the artisan labor that must be put into it in order to remain an important economic activity.