Morto Vivo is a circular art and design studio in the Bonfim neighborhood of Porto created by furniture designer Mike Lambuth (he/him) and artist Lu Antram (they/she).
Dedicated to creating with found, repurposed and waste materials and a commitment to a petroleum-free process, Morto Vivo breathes life into what was formerly dead.
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We adhere to a strict ethos of reuse and always design with the minimal use of new products in mind. We often times describe ourselves more as problem solvers than artists and the challenges associated with working in the realm of reuse excites us.
From hardware found secondhand that’s redesigned to suit our needs to building casting boxes from scrap wood to sourcing many of the essential tools we use in our studio, we strive to give everything we can a new life.
REUSE
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It’s our goal to minimize impact on people and planet not just through reuse but also the consumables we choose to work with. We spend hours researching each and every product we use to ensure we are using the most sustainable options possible. This means biodegradable products like citrus oil solvent, coffee/vinegar/tea stains and ethically sourced beeswax over polymer and petroleum based products.
NATURAL MATERIALS
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We see too many pieces of furniture, jewelry, [insert any object] thrown away because of its inability to be repaired, in part it’s why we exist. Even the most well made pieces of functional art wear over time, especially those made with natural materials. This is why it is important to us to create with the inevibility of repair in mind. Whether that is screws instead of nails or the use of an infinitely recycleable material like aluminium, we want you to be able to come back to the studio years later with hope of keeping your favorite piece alive.
REPAIR
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We believe that in order to change systems and a throw-away culture, we must share the knowledge we have with our immediate community. That means no gatekeeping of tricks of the trade. We will host regular workshops from materials sourcing to building from waste for the Porto community, regardless of ability to pay.
We recongize that as newcomers and hope-to-be permanent visitors of this country and city, we are here to learn from you just as much as we are eager to share. Our goals for Morto Vivo span far beyond the current two arists here; if you have ideas, want to work in the studio using methods of reuse and low-impact creation, need to use our tools, have a skill to share, or just want to see what we’re about—
please contact us.
Our long term goals include a larger space for more people (artists and not) to join in creating under a similar ethos regardless of ability to pay. A ‘Tool Library,’ allowing for anyone in community to check out tools for free for any projects outside the studio. If you have interest in joining us or insight into how to get a project like the ‘Tool Library’ set up, reach out.
