An avid collector of historical objects, plant specimens, and other curiosities, Halili’s affinity with the natural world mirrors that of an Enlightenment-era gentleman: energized by discovery, guided by experimentation, and driven by the desire to understand the world. In this light, his reference to José Rizal’s The Triumph of Science over Death and his use of the Statue of Liberty as material find their resonance. Like a time traveler moving across eras, Halili sifts through the remnants of the old world and carries back his discoveries, allowing what matters a way back into the present.