?MÃE?
AURORA NUNES, ISABEL MENDES FERREIRA, JOÃO ALVES, JOÃO VIOTTI, LETA XAVIA, SOFIA ANDRADE, XAVIER XAVIER

May 9, 2026 – June 27, 2026 (Wed-Sun, 16:00-20:00)

CURATED BY: João Viotti & Aurora Nunes
CONCERT BY JOÃO ALVES: May 9 at 18:00
GUIDED TOUR WITH LGP INTERPRETER (Portuguese Sign Language): May 16 at 17:00
CHILDREN'S WORKSHOP: May 31 at 10:30
PERFORMANCE BY SOFIA ANDRADE: June 27 at 18:00

Since its inception, Zaratan has entrusted the organization of its exhibition schedule to artists, embodying an anti-hierarchical perception of the art world—where artists, curators, gallerists, critics, and the public are all considered "players" in the same game. This vision embraces the theory of expanded practice, viewing the artist not just as a "creator" of a work of art, but as a socially embedded cultural operator.

This philosophy takes shape in proposals originating directly from artist-curators, encouraging procedures shaped by the acceptance of uncertainty and integrating experimentation and discovery into curatorship. It is in this context that the exhibition ?MÃE? arises—a project by João Viotti and Aurora Nunes featuring the participation of artists and their respective mothers as active collaborators: Aurora Nunes, João Alves, João Viotti, Xavier Xavier, Isabel Mendes Ferreira, Leta Xavia, and Sofia Andrade.

The exhibition also features two performative moments: the first on May 9, during the opening, consisting of a sound performance by João Alves; the second on June 27, a performative activation for the closing of the exhibition with Sofia Andrade.

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"Mother, mamã. The primordial word. The one we know so well and instinctively call out in times of distress. But after all, what fits inside a mother? The simultaneously universal and polysemic nature of the term is revealed in the dictionary:

mother [mada]

1. a woman who has given birth; a female that has had offspring.

2. one who provides care; a generous and beneficent soul.

3. source, cause, origin; country or place of foundation.

4. a riverbed; the sediment remaining at the bottom of a bottle.

5. (Slang) a key or a master key. From the Latin mater, matris.

Do these definitions do justice to the feeling and the various lives that inhabit this word? In this exhibition, four 'artists-sons-of-mothers' (artistas-filhos-da-mãe) bring their relationship with the concept of 'Mother' to consideration, featuring the participation of their respective progenitors. It is an intergenerational dialogue that explores the tension between biological creation and artistic creation, blurring the boundaries between art and life through the rawness and humanity of the relationship.

The works presented here are the fruit of a plunge into the abyss of the 'Mother-Concept.' The result unfolds in hybrid formats that contaminate Zaratan's space: from painting to video, sculpture to performance, through photography, sound art, and drawing, under discreet veils of poetry.

Thinking about such an ancestral theme is, in itself, a gestational process. It requires stripping away the ego polished by maturity and returning to the source—to the cradle and the darkness that precedes the first breath of light. In this cultural 'incubator,' the works mirror an inconclusive subtext that traces back to the vanishing point of all meanings. ?Mother?: the place of all places, where every child draws their first idea."
— João Viotti & Aurora Nunes

BIOGRAPHIES

Curatorship:

JOÃO VIOTTI and AURORA NUNES Presenting themselves as a duo since 2024, João Viotti and Aurora Nunes adopt open dialogue and experimentalism as the basis of their practice. They develop various multidisciplinary artistic projects of a participatory nature, of which the present project is a central example.

Artists:

JOÃO VIOTTI (Lisbon, 1993). Artist and researcher. Holding a Degree in Sculpture and a Master's in Multimedia Art – Audiovisuals (FBAUL), he is currently a PhD student in Artistic Studies – Art and Mediations. He has exhibited regularly since 2014, with highlights including Parting with the Bonus of Youth – Maumaus as Object (Galeria das Índias); I will take the risk (Tomáz Hipólito Studio); The Fool's Guide and On Persuasion (Festival Exquisito); and Everyone's asking if I'm ok / No one's asking if I'm ok (The Icing Room, UK). As a curator, notable projects include the MOLIO cycle at Zaratan (2018-2019) and PHLORYSTA (2017–2020), funded by DGArtes. In 2025, he premiered the feature film Ouro e Oásis at the Sevilla Film Festival. He was decorated by the Junta de Freguesia do Lumiar in 2026 for his contribution to local culture. Currently, he manages independent projects at Galeria Liminare and Espaço KJV.

AURORA NUNES (Lisbon, 2002). Specialized in Photography at the António Arroio Art School and holds a Degree in Comparative Studies from FLUL. She developed a volunteer project at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa focused on Art Therapy for the elderly. She currently collaborates with the Educational Service of the Bordalo Pinheiro Museum. In partnership with João Viotti, she develops participatory curatorial projects at Galeria Liminare and Espaço KJV. As an artist, her practice is transdisciplinary, ranging from drawing to installation.

XAVIER XAVIER (Alcochete, 1981). With a background in Communication Design (Universidade Lusófona), Photography and Visual Culture (IADE), and Art Therapy (SPAT), he holds a Master's in Multimedia Arts – Photography (FBAUL). He has exhibited individually and collectively since 2016, crossing photography, performance, and installation. Highlights include collaborations with João Viotti in the PHLORYSTA and MOLIO projects, as well as the Adjuntamento Cultural Olisiponense. In 2025, he participated in the exhibition Phinais Phelizes at Galeria Liminare. Born screaming on a hot August summer. It was a difficult birth, but now, he is said to be calmer.

JOÃO HENRIQUE ALVES (Lisbon, 1993). Completed a Degree in Sculpture at FBAUL (2015) and trained as a Sound Technician at Restart (2017). His work spans cinema, music, and sculpture. In 2025, he designed the sound for the film Ouro e Oásis and integrated musical projects such as Hércules and Odyssey Os Argonautas. In 2023, he collaborated with MONOM Studio (Berlin) on sound spatialization. Recently, he has dedicated himself to the Vibroacoustic project, exploring the effect of sound frequencies on the human body.

ISABEL MENDES FERREIRA (Montijo, 1954). Writer, poet, and painter. Published her first book of poetry in 1982: Sobre as Ervas um corpo de Junho. This was followed by works such as Um Nocturno de Bach e um Relâmpago no Olhar (Bertrand) and A Mais Loura de Lisboa (Difel). After returning in 2010 with As Lágrimas Estão Todas na Garganta do Mar (Babel), she was included in several anthologies. She has collaborated with various publications and contributed texts to works by Dina Aguiar, Joaquim Pessoa, and José Rodrigues.

SOFIA ANDRADE (Lisbon, 1975). Attended the Communication Design degree at FBAUL. Parallel to visual arts, she ventured into the performing arts, joining the theater group Ditirambus and participating in contemporary dance projects at C.E.M. She worked as an actress for Animateatro, promoting cultural animation in various museums in Lisbon. Currently, she continues to dedicate herself to dance and exploring different techniques in visual arts.

LETA XAVIA On the [ ] day of the month of [ ] in the year nineteen hundred and [ ], in this parochial church [ ], municipality of [ ], diocese of Lisbon, I baptized the individual of the [ ] sex to whom I gave the name Leta Xavia and who was born in the parish of [ ], at [ ] hours of the [ ] of the day [ ] of the month of [ ] of the year [ ], daughter of [ ] of this name, by profession [ ], native of [ ].

SUPPORT | Zaratan – Arte Contemporânea is an entity supported by República Portuguesa – Cultura, Juventude e Desporto / Direção-Geral das Artes