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LITANY OF THE STRUCK AND THE STRIKING
(CURRENTLY IN REPERTOIRE)
PREMIERED NOV 14TH - 2025

LONG FORMAT PERFORMANCE (1H)

A body under pressure will not remain still, it will always strike back…
The tension that coils within fuels a coming conflict. Every muscle is a witness.
The fists tighten. The fists rise. A stance is taken.
The body must be ready, for conflict is approaching. The shadow is looming.

How does violence dissolve a threat? Can the living endure without surrendering to sacrifice?

‘Litany of the Struck and the Striking’ is a piece that responds to the current tensions provoked by the global rise of the far-right, questioning the passiveness of the opposition and calling for the reclaiming of violence as a tool against fascism and institutional power.
This piece is about preparing one’s body for conflict, and it appropriates boxing aesthetic and movement.
Following a cut-up story that blends religious iconography, this piece also critiques Catholic hypocrisy in discourse around empathy, martyrdom, and sainthood.

Mário.Gonçalo+cruz, LITANY OF THE STRUCK AND THE STRIKING, Hackney Showroom, 2025. Photos by Holly Revell.

TORN AT THE TABLE
PREMIERED FEB 7TH - 2025

CABARET PERFORMANCE (20m)

Out of the womb, the body emerges into a future already prophesied, awaiting judgment and doctrine...
A world that has named me before I’ve spoken, that has shaped me before I’ve stood.

The performance unravels the violence of societal norms (marriage, gender, productivity, and respectability) through acts of rebellion and pain.
At a table set for conformity, I reject their feast, dismantling the rules that seek to bind me, leaving behind a shattered prophecy and a reclaimed self...

Mário.Gonçalo+cruz, TORN AT THE TABLE, Ugly Duck, 2025. Photos by Holly Revell

TORN(ED) PROPHECY
SHOWN FEB 7TH - 2025

INSTALLATION/DURATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Within the womb lies the body, not yet formed, not yet known, yet already named.
In this suspended state of potential, a storm of labels and prophecies swirls, imposing futures upon a self that has yet to awaken.

This installation unveils the quiet violence of a world that confines before it nurtures, predicting identities before they can breathe.

Mário.Gonçalo+cruz, TORN(ED) PROPHECT, Ugly Duck, 2025. Photos by Holly Revell

ECHOES IN THE LIMINAL
SHOWN JAN 26TH TO FEB 3RD - 2024

ART EXHIBITION CURATION/PRODUCTION FOR FUSELESS FAN, AT LONDON GALLERY WEST

As the boundaries between dystopia and reality blur amidst relentless upheavals,
‘Echoes in the Liminal’ unfolds as a contemplative exploration of the contestable and reversible nature of the human condition.
This exhibition beckons you to delve into the nuanced interplay between the seen and the unseen, the known and the unknown, where the lines between presence and absence weave a mesmerising tapestry of contemplation.
Click here for the exhibition booklet

Fuseless Fan, ECHOES IN THE LIMINAL, London Gallery West, 2024. Photos by Fuseless Fan

@1.//FIRST.FIST
PUBLISHED OCT - 2023

ZINE DESIGN/CURATION FOR FUSELESS FAN

‘F.I.S.T.: Forging Initiatives, Shattering Traditions’ is more than just a zine. It's an invitation to join a movement—one that begins with a fist, symbolizing the fierce initiation of rebellion, and radiates outward, reshaping the foundation of art, society, and human connection. It's an ode to those who've embraced their power, their stories, and their truths.

Together, we're the catalysts of change, the architects of a new establishment—one built on the principles of diversity, authenticity, and the audacity to confront the world with our collective voice.
Through this zine, we celebrate the intersectionality of artistic expression and community empowerment, offering a platform where Queer, BIPOC, disabled, Women and other marginalised voices not only take centre stage but also ignite the sparks of revolution. The very essence of 'Fuseless Fan' is co-creation - through collaborations that give rise to change and decisions guided by the very communities we stand with.
Click here to access a digital copy

THE PAIN OF UTOPIA
SHOWN JUN - 2019

INSTALLATION/FILM/PERFORMANCE

Mário.Gonçalo+cruz, THE PAIN OF UTOPIA, Casa Tait Porto, 2019.

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