Daniela Morganiça, a multidisciplinary artist from Portugal, specializes in the performing arts. She has been creating her own works since 2005 and also collaborates on co-creations with both Portuguese and international artists. After a 10-year hiatus, Morganiça returned to the stage in 2022 and has since been actively exploring themes of struggle and persistence,
In her work she is constantly questioning the physical, emotional, and social limits of the self. Morganiça´s art is intrinsically linked to advocacy for accessible spaces for all bodies, particularly focusing on the instrumentalization and objectification of non-normative bodies in the arts, social, and work environments. At its core, her work is about the love that arises through these acts of rebellion.
CopperLeg & Made in Estonia Marathon 2025
Morganiça’s curiosity about CopperLeg emerged during her time working in Finland, where she observed the deep connections between Finnish and Estonian artists. With a new creation in progress, applying for a residency at CopperLeg felt like a natural step.
The opportunity to participate in the 18th Made in Estonia Marathon at Kanuti Gildi SAAL added another layer of dynamism to the residency, allowing Morganiça to test her physical and communication skills. The experience pushed her out of her comfort zone, providing the privilege of experimenting with new ideas while being accepted fully—not just as an artist but as a person with disabilities.
Morganiça’s performance Tear! (Fear) at the Made in Estonia Marathon 2025 was a raw display, a product of a shared vulnerability and profound exploration of fear.
Though the performance is still a work-in-progress, she leaves with far more material to work with than she initially imagined and a deeper understanding of herself as an individual.
Daniela Morganiça about Tear! (Fear):
” This performance is the second of an autobiographical series. Having a journal (started in 2007) as reference and the contrast of two kinds of daily life (and memory of two bodies) this one reflects our own fears of change, our need to belong to somewhere or someone and the inevitable conclusion that our best can easily not to be the best as we hope.
When the performance “Auguri! (Agouro)” (the first of the series) was related to the acceptance of the imperfect, Tear! (Fear) talks about the struggle and frustration that comes as part of the acceptence.
The creation of a choreographic piece was an urge – movements are universal. With the narrative in mind – a timeline interrupted by something unexpected (a stroke, in this specific case) and all the confusion, inner upheaval, hope and fear – a very specific soundscape was needed to illustrate it, which was created in residency, as well as the choreography. This 8 minutes piece was brought to stage at Kanuti Gildi SAAL on the 8th March. As this work is still in progress, new materials were token (video recording of the landscape, audio recording of John Grzinich installation piece “Powerless Flight”) which I’m currently working in. This new materials sparked reflections on wonder, longing and grief, which I feel that can be a new layer on this work. “
https://www.instagram.com/fabianne_dubois/
https://saal.ee/en/performance/made-in-estonia-marathon-2025-1952