William Villalongo

Beacon, 2022, originating from Villalongo’s research in Rome, bridges folklore from the American South and the Italian South. Villalongo hangs velvet-flocked drinking gourds alongside basil growing from ceramic pots, Testa di Moro, and seashells from multiple gold chains. The gourds reference the American folk song “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” The song's origins are difficult to trace, but it continued to be passed along colloquially until becoming published in the late 20s, eventually being recorded by a number of African American singers and becoming even more popular in the Civil Rights era. The "drinking gourd" refers to the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, or the Big and Little Dipper. The last star on the “handle” of the Little Dipper is the North Star, which was used to guide escaped slaves North to freedom.

Gold chains hold a long history in African American popular culture as “bling” or “drip.” Once a way of holding onto monetary value, the practice of wearing gold chains became popularized within hip-hop culture throughout the late ‘70s and ‘80s and endures in contemporary Black culture. For the artist growing up between the late ‘70s and ‘90s, gold chains have many levels of significance from expressions of power and style to adolescent courtship rituals in which chains are given as a sign of affection.

The seashells reference the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea as gravesites for those who did not survive the Middle Passage, while obsidian and quartz are believed to shield against negative energies, dissolving emotional blockages and ancient trauma. A Testa di Moro planted with basil hangs beneath, as though absorbing the healing qualities of the obsidian and quartz.

The Testa di Moro (Head of a Moor) is a ceramic vessel, originating in an 11th century legend. As the story goes, a Sicilian maiden fell deeply in love with a young prince, a Moor. When she discovered that he already had a wife, she cut off his head and planted basil in the severed appendage. The herb grew so lush soon everyone wanted their own Testa di Mora. Villalongo here is interested in fact and fiction and how these narratives speak to the Black presence across the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.