Moringue vazio não carrega só vento
This exhibition and publication project originated from an invitation by Galeria Plato Évora with a single requirement: it had to be related to ceramics.
Drawing inspiration from my collection, I chose the moringue as the theme and invited 27 artists from various generations and geographies to create a piece each.
The moringue is more than a functional object. Its dual spouts—one for drinking and one for pouring—symbolise sharing. Historically, its role in agricultural work, carried by men and women to the fields, situates it within a communal practice: the moringue serves, refreshes, preserves. And today, it endures.
“Moringue vazio não carrega só vento” (An empty moringue carries more than just wind) celebrates an object that, even without its original function, retains the memory of gestures and the history of its makers. This publication, created in collaboration with Maria Manuela Restivo, stems from the desire to keep the moringue alive and relevant.
We explored private and museum collections, assembling antique moringues from across Portugal. From Minho to Trás-os-Montes, Beira Alta, Lisbon, the Oeste, and Alentejo, juxtaposing these historic pieces with contemporary creations highlights both continuity and transformation. It is a tribute to the moringue—freeing it from the bounds of tradition.
Bringing the moringue into the present is also a way to launch it into the future. Not as a relic, but as a symbol of new ways of sharing. And if it no longer carries water, perhaps it carries the very idea of connection.
Felipa Almeida holds degrees in Art History, Curatorial Studies, and Design History and has lived in Portugal since 2006. She is dedicated to researching, promoting, and preserving artistic and artisanal objects created in Portugal. Felipa collaborates with artists, artisans, and traditional industries to develop projects celebrating Portuguese culture, heritage, and ancient craftsmanship techniques. Her outreach also includes her studio in Lisbon, where she organises thematic exhibitions presenting unique pieces created through challenges she issues to invited artists and artisans.
Maria Manuela Restivo is an anthropologist and researcher. She holds a degree in Anthropology from the University of Coimbra, a master’s in Museology from the University of Porto, and a PhD in Heritage Studies – Art History from the same university, funded by an FCT scholarship (2017–2022). She conducts research, curates exhibitions, and publishes works focused on popular and vernacular artistic practices. Maria is currently an integrated researcher at CRIA under the CEEC programme (2024–2030).
Moringue vazio não carrega só vento
Coordination Felipa Almeida and Maria Manuela Restivo
Edições Felipa Almeida
104 pages. In Portuguese.
18€
Pick-up available in Campo de Ourique by appointment.
