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WILLIAM VILLALONGO: BLACK MENAGERIE
7 September - 14 October 2023 -
The mythological dimensions of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea as containers of trauma, forced displacement, and as a gravesite that is still growing is bisected by the aspirational nature of the range of found objects, resurfaced with velvet imbuing them with warmth, softness and depth.
- Justin Randolph Thompson,Founder and Director of Black History Month Florence -
WILLIAM VILLALONGO, Cangrejo Antiguo, 2023 -
During his year in Rome, the artist found inspiration in the histories and objects unearthed in his research. Against the backdrop of Villalongo’s signature velvet, artifacts and motifs culled from the Ancient Mediterranean to the Modern day tell a nuanced story of the Black presence. Straying from traditional figurative representation, the artist pieces together an implied anatomy floating weightless in a condition of compressed time, resurfacing histories of migration and forced labor. Both corporeal and otherworldly, Villalongo retraces migratory passages to explore Deep Time creating a reimagined representation of the Black figure. A portrait that tells a story of diaspora, of healing and metamorphosis.
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WILLIAM VILLALONGO, A Dance for Dave, 2023
In a blast of ceramic shards, fragments of North African slipware and pottery made in the American South, A Dance for Dave, honors the work of enslaved craftsman, David Drake. The notable ceramicist is remembered for carving poems of resilience in his clay pots. Through his work, Drake performs an act of quiet resistance and profound bravery.Villalongo’s nod to Drake’s work commemorates an instance of Black perseverance. Drake’s work shares the stage with North African slipware, drawing parallels to the history of slavery dating back thousands of years across continents. During his residency, Villalongo researched the Roman Empire’s practice of slavery. These fragmented artifacts, pieces of the time-space continuum, serve as tragic reminders of history repeating itself. -
In our everyday lives we are only exposed to another superficial exterior. It’s the interiority that is important. There’s imagination and the psyche— all of which push towards abstraction. I think of a person as a constellation; a combination of organic structure and historical forces that bring one into being.
– William Villalongo
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WILLIAM VILLALONGO, Sphinx, 2023
At the entrance to The Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx stands as an awe-inspiring reminder of Ancient Egypt’s mastery of engineering and architecture. Influenced by his travels and research, Villalongo renders a modular composition titled and structured after the pharaonic monument.Perched at the top of Sphinx, a pivoted Janiform vase presents only one side of the object, the face of a Black man. The Janiform archetype, characteristic of Etruscan craftsmanship, originated around 500 B.C.E. While both faces are created using the same mold, the Black/white dichotomy prompts reflection on racial distinctions performed throughout history.Villalongo's meticulous selection and placement of artifacts, crystals, and seashells seen here renders a historical portrait of the Black body. By bringing together 10,000 years of signs and symbols, this towering portrait explores Deep Time-- an ongoing fascination of the artist. -
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I found myself thinking about diaspora and migration. Coming from the Black Atlantic I was curious as to what it meant to be from the Black Mediterranean. Where are the connections, what are the relationships?
- William Villalongo
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WILLIAM VILLALONGO, Black Menagerie (Testa di Moro), 2023
Here in Black Menagerie (Testa di Moro), Villalongo presents a constellation of Testa di Moros. Interested in fact and fiction, Villalongo employs mythological histories, using the Testa di Moro to reconsider narratives and depictions of the Black past.In Sicilian mythology, the Testa di Moro represents a tale of love and betrayal. The legend, dating to the 11th century, takes place in Sicily during a period of Moorish domination. The tale follows a budding romance between a Sicilian maiden and a young Moorish prince. The two carry on their love affair until the maiden discovers the prince has deceived her — he would soon leave Sicily to return to his wife and children. In a passionate rage, she goes to his bedside in the middle of the night and brutally beheads the Moor. As a testament to her heartbreak, the young girl keeps the head of her lover so that he might stay with her forever. Placing the head on her balcony, she fills it with basil where, watered by her tears, the herb grows so bountiful and fragrant that all of Sicily wanted their own Testa di Moro. -
WILLIAM VILLALONGO, Beacon, 2022
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Portrait of Artist, Photo: Bill Massey
WILLIAM VILLALONGO: BLACK MENAGERIE
Past viewing_room
