Tuti Momo

Over the course of three months, in 2015, Luísa Mota inhabited the Teatro Rivoli and the surrounding streets of Porto with a living installation composed of mythical and abstract characters. The project operated as an open-ended system of transformation set within a character-based framework. Elements of the behavior-based narrative were improvised in real time. Drawing guests, pedestrians, and collaborators into its orbit, the work invited intimate engagement with local stereotypical figures that questioned belief systems, power structures, and the performance itself. It explored identity not as a fixed construct, but as a constellation of roles in constant flux — both personal and collective. Developed across performance, video, photography, and sculpture, 'Tuti Momo' marked a significant shift toward immersive, durational installations that blend fiction and social reality, generating multiple conceptual threads and characters later expanded in Luísa Mota’s studio work.

Workshops

In search of characters and participants for the show, the artist gave workshops to groups of people of various ages and backgrounds, exploring themes of body language, behaviour and embodiment.  These workshops were part of the artist's creative process of identifying and creating characters, through the project participants.

Inaugural Procession and Invisible Monument

The Procession was composed of 47 Crystal Beings, the 5 Old Ladies and the Inner Child. It began at the Mota Galiza complex, in central Porto, then crossed the gardens of the Crystal Palace, continuing along public roads and gardens until it reached D. João IV Square. Once finished, the Crystal Beings tore their costumes and all the material waste was collected and placed in an improvised fence. The parade served as a catalyst for the whole project at the Rivoli Municipal Theatre, which opened that same evening.

From this moment on, the Invisible Monument is gradually built over the days, starting with five balls maneuvered by five Crystal Beings. On the third day, these five spheres came together, giving way to a single larger form, growing ritually as a single piece. The unfolding of the Monument became an artistic performance to the "naked eye".

Performance and Installation

This stage involved various materials and works on display in the theatre foyer, and featured four performances - two to three times a week. These performances took place not only in the foyer on the third floor and in the corridors, but also sometimes outside the building. Every week, the performers transformed and worked on the installation, expanding it. The space was transformed into an immersive setting where the audience could interact and engage with the performers.

Cast

• Andreia Moreira
• Eva Bastos
• Inês Mondim
• Margarida Costa
• Cristóvão Sá Pimenta
• Idalina Tavares
• Ana Cardoso
• José Neto
• Tiago Fernandes
• Hélder Aires
• António Gonçalves
• Francisco Ramada
• Maria da Graça
• Clara Cardoso
• Isabel Sequeira
• Julieta Fonseca
• Urânia da Silva
• Miguelina
• Ângela Oliveira
• Carla Soares
• Ilva Otero
• Maria José Monteiro
• Sandra Silva
• Júlia Rodrigues
• André Almeida Rodrigues
• Filipa Duarte
• Jorge Pereira
• Joaquim Maia Martins
• João Baltarejo
• Joana Rafaela Moreira
• amongst others who unfortunately we can no longer identify but thankfully acknowledge their presence now and at the time