André da Loba

The Travessos inhabit, almost invisibly, the houses of Porto since these were built. The Mayans called them Aluxo’ob, while the Aztecs named them Chanekeh. In turn, the Japanese designated them Yōkai, and the Zulus Abatwa. For the Scots they were Brownies, among the Arabs they were Genies, in Greece they were Daimon and in Rome they were Lares. André da Loba calls them Travessos (mischievous ones).
These beings, as guardians of memory, protect the history and preserve the identity of the people of Invicta. Until recently, the city had remained indifferent to the upheavals caused by the greatest epidemic that humans have memory of — Tourism. However, what the less honest considered inevitable ended up happening: the tourists invaded Porto and immediately, like voracious termites, started the dismantlement of the city’s structures. The attack didn’t stop at the homes — it also extended to traditional businesses such as cafes, confectioneries, warehouses and shops. The lifelong has given way to the instantaneous, the durable to the disposable, the permanent to the ephemeral, and the picturesque to the generic.
With the destruction of their natural habitat, the Travessos, like the Tripeiros (locals from Porto), were progressively displaced and their existence was put at risk. Without sustenance, or anything to sustain, they left, helpless, for other places or were relegated to hidden corners of the town.

In this exhibition, André da Loba aims to bring these beings back into the light — and into the shadows — through the gleaning of materials found in the rubble of the demolitions in the city of Porto.
Each Travesso piece displayed here is reborn from a worn-out piece of flooring, a wrecked door, a broken shelf, a battered baseboard, a leaning partition, a forgotten chest, an abandoned piece of furniture.
The ultimate goal is to relocate them, giving them a new home where they can once again bring life to the surrounding space and the people who inhabit it. Like a friendly animal or a good luck charm, the Travesso gives us the encouragement that rescues us from misery and brings order to that chaotic place that is our heart.
A house with a Travesso is protected against all evils.