Hi, I'm Pabl(illx)o José!

Illx (Pablo Varona Borges) (he // it) is a multidisciplinary puppeteer from Boriken who recognizes the immeasurable value of discarded objects and how they can be reused or recycled to influence our journey towards community self-sufficiency. Whether through storytelling, metal work and/or machine construction, cardboard mask making, street juggling, giant sculptures and/or musical instruments with recovered materials, the striking aesthetic of Illx invites curious minds to re-examine their relationships with everyday objects. Before deeming an object "trash," Illx claims that re-purposing these "forgotten materials" empowers artistic minds to act on the ever-present "puzzles" of climate change before it's too late.

Collective Works

He co-founded Junktown Duende and Propice Collectif, two puppeteer collectives that facilitate workshops, around the United States, France, Puerto Rico, Burkina Faso, and Mexico, with the common purpose of imagining community parades. One of is latest project involves the restoration of a century-old building in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico - Paseo13.

In his spare time, Illx works as a researcher, educator, and artist on topics related to solid waste management, plastic material, and the circular economy through the collaborative project between Plastikeres and the Museo del Reciclaje.