Sánchez's 'Records del futur' Warns of Andorra's Rock-Carved Doom

Francisco Sánchez's latest artwork, *Records del futur*, depicts the Romanesque hermitage of Sant Vicenç d'Enclar perched precariously atop a stark cubic remnant of the surrounding rock face, serving as a stark warning about Andorra's environmental trajectory.

Commissioned by an anonymous national collector seeking to complete a collection of 20th-century Andorran art, the piece portrays the chapel—complete with its pre-Romanesque bell tower—reduced to a minimal pedestal amid a ravaged landscape. Sánchez, who rarely paints religious sites despite their prevalence in Andorran art, accepted the request on condition that he interpret it through his own lens. The result is a charcoal-on-canvas work measuring 80 by 70 centimetres, which the artist describes as a prophecy of what awaits if current development paths persist.

In the image, human intervention has stripped the Enclar rock down to its bare essentials, leaving just enough to support the hermitage. Closer inspection reveals a carved staircase leading to an implied elevator entrance at the cube's base, bypassing traditional foot access. Behind the chapel looms a vast rock-hewn platform, offering views over a fully urbanised valley devoid of untouched land.

Sánchez draws parallels to real changes, citing the transformation of the Quer rock—a once-pristine natural viewpoint—into a commercialised site. "We've preserved our limited heritage," he notes, "but altered the natural surroundings that form our true wealth, losing their essence in the process." He stresses this is not criticism but observation of shifts over the past half-century, urging reflection to avoid turning Andorra into a "themed park." The work challenges viewers to hold their gaze beyond 30 seconds—the span of digital attention—before dismissing it as exaggeration.

This piece aligns with Sánchez's recent output of desolate landscapes and post-apocalyptic visions, including *Una realitat a part*, a finalist in the Figurativas 2025 contest currently on display at Barcelona's Museu Europeu d'Art Modern until 11 January. Like a futuristic Piranesi, Sánchez maps a future where relentless development carves up the country, inviting audiences to confront the path ahead.