Memoria Coral

January 17 – February 28

Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust

An exhibition by Lazum — Rumi Humphrey and Lena Galíndez

An important role of the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust’s museum gallery is to present rotating exhibitions that complement the Trust’s broader mission to protect Vieques’ environmental, archaeological, and cultural resources. That role takes on particular resonance when the Trust itself is actively engaged in ecological restoration.

Memoria Coral is an exhibition by Vieques-based artists Rumi Humphrey and Lena Galíndez, who work collaboratively under the name Lazum. Drawing inspiration from the coral reefs surrounding Vieques, the exhibition bridges art, science, and conservation—inviting reflection on both the beauty and vulnerability of reef ecosystems.

Coral reefs form the first line of defense for the ecosystems that sustain Vieques’ Bioluminescent Bay. Located at the mouth of the bay, corals help absorb wave energy during storms, protecting seagrass beds and mangroves that are essential to the bay’s health and bioluminescence. Today, these reefs face increasing stress from warming ocean temperatures and stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), which caused widespread coral die-offs across the Caribbean in 2023–2024.

While Memoria Coral acknowledges this fragile reality, the exhibition itself is not didactic. Instead, it offers a poetic and immersive response—rooted in the artists’ lived experience of Vieques’ underwater landscapes.

The Work

The exhibition brings together underwater documentation, ceramic and 3D-printed sculpture, and painting.

Galíndez’s work focuses on ceramic mold design and repeating natural patterns inspired by coral structures and sea fans. Humphrey presents sculptural studies that evoke prehistoric radiolarians and sea urchins, exploring form, scale, and movement.

Main Museo Gallery

In the Museo gallery, visitors encounter Tylocidaris a large radiolarian sculpture whose organic form suggests both ancient marine life and a future garden presence. Surrounding it are Galíndez’s two-dimensional patterned works, their flowing lines echoing coral webs and underwater movement. Nearby, a cabinet of smaller ceramic works—many functional vessels—invites closer viewing. (dropbox link to photo here)

Proceeds from artwork sales support the work of the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust.

Art and Restoration

Aquarium Space

The exhibition continues into the Aquarium space with Pensamiento Arrecife (Reef Thought) a project in which Lazum presents ceramic prototypes intended for coral restoration. These experimental forms are designed to attract spawning coral and encourage reef growth, offering a tangible intersection between artistic practice and ecological repair.

The Culmination: Bio Bay Room

The exhibition culminates in the Bio Bay Room with Hertxioma #3 (2025), the largest version to date of Humphrey’s multi-part radiolarian sculptures. Assembled through a custom-designed threaded system and accompanied by pulsing light and sound, the installation evokes the movement, rhythm, and mystery of the underwater coral world—inviting visitors into a meditative space of immersion and reflection.

Community and Public Programs

The opening reception, attended by approximately 70 guests, also served as a community open house for the Trust. The Trust extends special thanks to MANTA student leaders for their help in making the evening a success.

Public programming expanded the exhibition’s themes. An artist talk on January 30 explored ceramic molds, 3D printing, coding, and Galíndez’s recent public art commission Water Emerges (Brota el Agua) at El Portal del Yunque Visitor Center. On January 31, marine biologist Hatuey Connelly Molina presented a talk on coral reefs, connecting Memoria Coral to the Trust’s ongoing coral restoration work in Vieques as part of a larger reef-to-mangrove ecosystem approach.