Always Becoming, 2007
Nora Naranjo-Morse (b. 1953), K’apovi (Santa Clara Pueblo)
Cob (mixed clay, soil, sand, and vegetal material), unfired clay, locust wood, bamboo, pottery sherd/ sherds, agave/maguey fiber, and stone, dimensions variable
Conservation ongoing, 2007–
National Museum of the American Indian, New York City, 265840.000

Always Becoming is an ephemeral, site-specific installation commissioned in 2006 by the National Museum of the American Indian for its location on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Consisting of adobe clay figures that are intended to actively change, respond to their social and environmental conditions, and return to the earth over time, the work draws on Pueblo cultural values and challenges conventional Euro-American conservation goals of material preservation in perpetuity.

In this video, artist Nora Naranjo-Morse introduces us to Always Becoming, the inspiration for its creation, and the ongoing collaborative relationships among herself, her family, and museum conservators that guide the proper stewardship and care of the work.

Always Becoming video for the exhibition
Directed and edited by Ellen Enderle
Narration by Nora Naranjo-Morse, recorded by
Eliza Naranjo-Morse in November 2021

Song performed by Rose Naranjo
Recording by Jack Loeffler, ca. 1990
Recorded at Kha’p’o Owenge (Santa Clara Pueblo), New Mexico