200 Million Years

“200 Million Years” explores the fragility of butterflies amid the occurring sixth mass extinction. In a multitude of series the work depicts the butterfly as a representator of complex ecosystems, using its beauty as a portal into inter-species empathy.

The project 200 Million Years takes its name from the deep evolutionary history of butterflies, who have existed for over 200 million years—long predating the existence of humanity. This timeline serves as a counterpoint to their fragility today, as the ongoing sixth mass extinction and drastic insect population declines threaten entire ecosystems.

The project began with a question: how to represent something that is disappearing—something so small that its absence often goes unnoticed? Insects, fundamentally different from mammals, rarely evoke empathy. Yet butterflies, with their beauty and symbolic weight, stand out. When I asked a scientist why they are the most researched insects, he said: “Because of their beauty.”

Depicting the butterfly as a mystical and scientific figure, 200 Million Years unfolds across several interrelated series. Each series offers a distinct entry point into how we relate to nature—and how these relationships are shaped by aesthetics, science, and history.