Javier Orfón, Elegía de Gongolí (Gongoli’s Elegy), 2021

Javier Orfón: I’m Javier Orfón. Elegía de Gongolí is a series of monotypes that I had been making since 2021.

Narrator: In this print, Orfón uses layered images to suggest memory and mourning, honoring both family and Puerto Rico’s fragile ecology.

Javier Orfón: So, it is connected to one of the spaces I have interacted with throughout my life, in particular, the garden.

My beloved grandmother had a collection of orchids, which are still there. It has been a big inspiration too, in the way of organizing, or working. I work a lot with installations. This piece, this garden, in particular, I have thought of it in terms of how to go about presenting or creating a work of art. So here, in particular, I was thinking about what a gongolí is. The gongolí is a kind of creature, a millipede, that is very common in high-humidity gardens. Since it is an orchid garden, in a humid region, there are many little creatures that love this kind of environment; they are drawn to it. Gongolí is also a word with African origins, and in Puerto Rico there are so many terms: gongolí and gongolón and gongulén. The scientific name is Anadenobolus monilicornis. After my family member died of cancer, I continued with this work in honor of both her work and also of my whole experience, the dialogue, contemplating the place, often by her side.

Narrator: Orfón’s photographs also appear nearby.

Javier Orfón: My main concept stems from the term topophilia, love of the land. It is based on the premise that encompasses all of those aesthetic perceptions, that a person can appreciate or understand over time in a specific place. I started out at first in the area where I live, in the eastern region, but I’ve also had the chance to interact with and get to know and be a part of other areas around Puerto Rico.