The Portal
The portal is a temporary installation that seeks to provide a critical reflection on circular economy processes linked to the use and recycle of plastic, through a new entrance for the Vallehermoso Market in Madrid. This project takes part in the academic research conference on Circular Economy, organized every year by the Francisco de Victoria University in Madrid. To render visible, the vast academic work produced the last years around this issue, our proposal consists of occupy the main market access with 3,500 reused plastic bottles, just before they start their recycling process again. For this reason, no bottle was damaged or modified, as they were threaded to a drilled plywood, in order to facilitate its reuse. The Vallehermoso market stands out for being a very special place within the Chamberí neighborhood. It is well-known for its fresh and high-quality products, its small businesses which work with local resources, and the interpersonal relationships forged among neighbors. Through the reinterpretation of one of the building's most recognizable elements, the door, the project seeks to raise awareness on the application of new production and consumption models, in order to fight the excessive generation of waste in the following decades.