Project 01

Alminhas das Mouras, May 2025



Alminhas das Mouras is a site-specific art installation composed of a granite dolmen doorway (antas) and a standing stone (pedra moura), situated as a contemporary wayside shrine. Rooted in Portuguese folklore, the work honors the mythical Pedra-Moura—mysterious, long-haired female spirits said to inhabit ancient stones alongside the souls of the dead. These figures, both enchanting and sacred, are also believed to be the builders of megaliths and dolmens, deeply connected to the land, ancestry, and the unseen world.

The installation invites visitors to engage in a quiet, ritualistic experience. Drawing from traditional tales where one could walk into or out of a rock, the act of passing through the stone doorway becomes symbolic. Visitors are encouraged to approach with intention—first pausing to ask permission from the Mouras, then stepping through the granite threshold. This passage can be an act of offering gratitude, letting go of something no longer needed, or dedicating a wish, thought, or memory to the spirits that dwell within the stone.