A scene from the performance MONGA by Jéssica Teixeira: The photo shows Jéssica Teixeira standing in front of a ring light in a dark room. She is naked and pointing forward with her index finger. She is looking in the same direction.
A scene from the performance MONGA by Jéssica Teixeira: The photo shows Jéssica Teixeira dancing from behind in a dark room under a disco ball. A stand microphone can be seen in front of her body. She is wearing a gorilla mask upside down, so that the face of the mask can be seen on the back of her head. She stretches one arm out to the side while holding the other arm up at an angle.
A scene from the performance MONGA by Jéssica Teixeira: The photo shows Jéssica Teixeira standing sideways in front of a studio light with a softbox grid. Only her contours are visible. She is wearing a gorilla mask on her head. She holds one arm slightly bent upwards so that her hand is at eye level.

MONGA

Jéssica Teixeira

Fortaleza

“I'm not afraid of my body. If I was, would you be more comfortable?” – Jéssica Teixeira

In MONGA, Jéssica Teixeira shines the bright boxing ring lights on the brutality that societal conceptions of normality exercise on bodies. Starting with the story of Julia Pastrana, a multitalented Mexican artist, who was brutally exploited in the freakshows of the 19th century and did not even find peace after death, Teixeira crafts a mosaic out of philosophical reflection, infectious songs, and radical performance art. In the light of the disco ball, she invites us to distinguish between the myth of reality and not repeating the past.

 

Jéssica Teixeira is a multi-artist living in Fortaleza, Brazil. Her artistic practice is strongly characterized by her engagement with her own body, which she uses as an instrument for critical reflection and a means of political resistance. In 2025, Jéssica Teixeira was awarded the most prestigious Brazilian theater prize in the category Best Director for her work MONGA.

 

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Production credits

Direction, Dramaturgy, Performance Jéssica Teixeira Artistic Direction Chico Henrique Musical Direction, Guitar Luma Technical Direction, Light Design Jimmy Wong Video, Photography Ciça Lucchesi  Body Preparation Castilho​ Zabumba Juliano Mendes Stage Management Aristides Olivera Production Rodrigo Fidelis - Corpo Rastreado ​Translation Katja Roloff International Distribution Corpo a Fora and Farofa Photo (1) Patricia Almeida Photo (2) Ligia Jardim Photo (3) Camila Rios

With the kind support of Creative Ceará.