Caught in light: Moradavaga’s suspended shoal

A shoal of golden fish hangs above the grounds of a former beer factory in Faro. Seen from above, their silhouettes are legible against the paving; from below, the bodies break into rows of small reflective panels, wires and open sky. Created by Moradavaga for the 2026 edition of Mar Motto, A-L-M-A-D-R-A-V-A brings the Algarve’s tuna-fishing heritage into the courtyard through an installation that moves with the weather.

The work was realised in April 2026 at the entrance to the festival’s exhibition spaces. Hundreds of mirrored golden pieces evoke the scales of Atlantic bluefin tuna and the flickering surface of water. Their shifting reflections draw attention from the gate, inviting passersby to enter the old industrial site.

A fishing system, suspended in air

The title refers to the almadraba, a fishing system whose arrangement of nets and cables channels tuna through a sequence of enclosures. Moradavaga translates that spatial idea into a web of suspended elements, placing a small school of large fish within its threads. The reference connects the installation to the historical and social importance of tuna fishing in southern Portugal.

Within this setting, the artists give the fish a different destination. The suspended shoal becomes a welcoming marker for the festival, redirecting the idea of capture towards an encounter with the public. Its outlines remain fragmented: gaps between the reflective pieces let the existing architecture, murals and sky pass through the bodies.

Light as a moving surface

The installation’s appearance depends on conditions around it. Sunlight, wind and rain alter the relationship between the suspended pieces, their reflections and the shadows below. A fish that reads as a coherent golden form from one position can dissolve into an irregular field of bright and dark rectangles from another.

The photographs make this changing relationship particularly clear. Overhead views reveal the fish shapes and their displaced shadows, while closer views expose the thin supporting lines and individual panels. Light extends the work beyond its physical outline, scattering across the ground where visitors walk. The courtyard becomes part of the image rather than simply a backdrop.

Components with a previous life

A-L-M-A-D-R-A-V-A also carries the material history of two earlier Moradavaga installations. Components from Sunwheel, made in Porto in 2016, and Wishwall, created in Braga in 2024, were brought together for this temporary work. Reuse is therefore part of its construction, giving existing pieces a new arrangement and purpose.

That approach connects to Mar Motto’s emphasis on ocean protection and environmental awareness. It also continues the collective’s interest in activating overlooked places. Founded by architects Manfred Eccli and Pedro Cavaco Leitão, and based between Italy and Portugal, Moradavaga has worked across art, architecture and design since 2006. Here, the former brewery’s courtyard is activated through a light suspended presence, with the weather and the movement of visitors continually changing how the work is seen.

Project Credits

Project: A-L-M-A-D-R-A-V-A
Artist: Moradavaga / @moradavaga
Authors: Manfred Eccli, Pedro Cavaco Leitão
Collaboration: Lola Burdin
Commissioned by: Mar Motto / @mar.motto
Location: Former beer factory, Faro, Portugal
Date: April 2026
Photography: Moradavaga