Ten Years of Spectrolab: A Story Built Through Encounters, Research, and Movement

When Spectrolab was born ten years ago, we didn't yet know exactly where that restless spirit would lead us. There was simply a desire to explore new possibilities for theater, bringing together masks, puppets, objects, the body, visual arts, and performance. More than just creating productions, we wanted to build a permanent space for inquiry—one where every process raised new questions and every work paved the way for the next.

This story was shaped by many hands. From the start, the collective found its strength in the collaboration of artists with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Douglas Peron, Millena Machado, Caio Ribeiro, and Rakoo de Andrade became the key figures driving this research over the years, with the presence and support of Elizabeth Othon during the group's early processes. Surrounding this core group, an extensive network of artists, technicians, researchers, and institutions helped shape Spectrolab’s identity.

Images: Spectrolab Archive - 2016

Throughout this decade, we have had the joy of sharing creative processes with partners who left a profound mark on our journey. Henrique Santian, Hélio Flanders, Sandro Lucose, Marithe Azevedo, Marcelo Sant'Anna, André D'Lucca, Cia. Cena Onze, Cia. Pessoal de Teatro, InPróprio Coletivo, Teoria Verde, Sumac Records, Sesc Poconé, Sesc Arsenal, the Mato Grosso State Secretariat of Culture, Sport and Leisure, and so many others have contributed—at various times—to broadening our approach to the performing arts. Spectrolab has always believed that creating is, above all, about connecting with people.

Images: Spectrolab Archive - 2016-2020

From our earliest works, our research has sought to bridge the gap between object-based theater—or theater of animated forms—and performance art, visual arts, and experimentation with unconventional materials. We have always believed that an object is never merely an object, that a mask never serves solely to hide a face, and that physical matter itself can embody memory, presence, and dramaturgy.

This line of inquiry took on new dimensions when we began an artistic partnership with Rakoo de Andrade. Her perspective on object theater helped solidify the collective’s identity, guiding processes that deeply shaped our trajectory. A key example is Maiêutica, a production that marked a turning point for Spectrolab by securing a national tour through the Palco Giratório circuit. For the first time, our work traveled across the country, reaching audiences in various states and confirming that theater produced in Mato Grosso could resonate with any region.

Subsequently, *Agostino Peixe Grande* further deepened this exploration. Inspired by Amazonian imagery, the production toured cities across the Amazon region and strengthened our investigation into ancestry, territory, and memory. This connection to Amazonian narratives remains a vital element in many of the works we continue to develop today.

Images: Spectrolab Archive - 2016-2021

However, our story has never been defined solely by our performances. We have always understood that research also entails continuous study. Over the years, we have had the opportunity to participate in workshops, residencies, and laboratories led by key figures in contemporary puppet theater—such as Natacha Belova, Bruno Dante, Carolina Garcia, Paulo Balardim, and Duda Paiva. Each encounter sparked new questions and opened up new possibilities for our research, expanding our technical and artistic repertoire.

This process of professional development also gained a special dimension through the journey of Rakoo de Andrade, who trained in puppet theater at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette (ESNAM) in Charleville-Mézières, France—one of the world’s most important institutions dedicated to puppet theater. This experience brought Spectrolab closer to international research on animated forms and strengthened our commitment to artistic exchange.

In 2019, we truly crossed Brazilian borders with the creation of Spectrolab France. More than just establishing a base in another country, this milestone launched a genuinely intercontinental inquiry. We began developing collaborative processes between Brazil and France, creating artistic residencies, exchanges, and new partnerships that broadened our approach to theater. Dialogue between different cultures became integral to the collective's creative process, attracting other artists and partners—such as Morgane Aimerie Robin, Cassiel Bruder, Laurine Chalon, and Lucille Gallard—to contribute to our work.

This journey gave rise to various performances and experiments—such as Epifânia, Coió, Rehearsals With Her, and Resi(dual)—alongside many other explorations that helped shape our artistic identity. Each project raised questions that continued to be explored in the next. Gradually, our research began to incorporate industrial waste, electronic scrap, and discarded materials, based on the understanding that objects which have lost their everyday function can find new life on stage.

It was precisely from this combination of experiences that *Jantar* was born. The show brings together virtually all the lines of inquiry developed over the last decade: masks, object theater, electronic waste, Amazonian narratives, performance, ancestry, and environmental issues. Nothing came about by chance; every aesthetic choice carries a piece of the history the collective has built over these ten years.

Images: Spectrolab Archive - 2018-2026

In 2022, another dream came true: we secured our own studio, shared with the Labirinto Creative Institute. Having a permanent space profoundly transformed our daily routine. The studio became the place where we build puppets, masks, and set designs; experiment with materials; hold rehearsals; host artists; and conduct workshops. More than just a fabrication workshop, it became a home for Spectrolab’s research.

This space also strengthened an aspect that has always been part of our journey: the training of new artists. Sharing our processes has never been a side activity to our work, but rather part of the research itself. Over the years, we have conducted courses, workshops, and labs at universities, festivals, and schools, as well as within social service centers (such as CRAS and CREAS) and various social projects. Initiatives like Recycling Through Play and our puppet-making workshops have introduced children, teenagers, and adults to the world of puppet theater, demonstrating that simple materials and discarded objects can be transformed into tools for imagination, expression, and a sense of belonging.

Images: Spectrolab Archive - 2016-2025

Perhaps what moves us most when looking back at this decade is realizing that no performance ends when the curtains close. Each creation lives on within the next. Maiêutica paved the way for Agostino Big Fish. Agostino deepened our connection to Amazonian narratives. Resi(dual) taught us to look at what we discard. Dinner was born precisely from this accumulation of experiences, encounters, and questions.

Celebrating ten years does not mean bringing a story to a close. It means acknowledging everything built so far in order to continue our exploration. We remain driven by the same curiosity that gave rise to the collective: discovering new ways to breathe life into matter, creating images that linger in the memory, and building a theater capable of crossing borders without losing its roots.

There are still many puppets to build, many masks waiting to find a face, many objects concealing stories, and many encounters yet to happen. If the first ten years were a laboratory of discovery, we feel as though we are only just beginning.