Bordalo II Opens the Doors to ‘Attero,’ a Giant Exhibition of Animal Assemblages Built with Trash

Within the confines of an abandoned warehouse in Lisbon, artist Bordalo II just opened the doors to his largest body of work to date, dozens of animalistic assemblages comprised of his trademark medium: trash. Using locally-sourced waste plastics, car parts, construction materials, and other found detritus, Bordalo has become famous for his uncanny depictions of animals—those most vulnerable to the side effects of our disposable economy. While scale often plays a large role in his outdoor wall-mounted street pieces, the artist also created considerably smaller assemblages attached to old doors, siding, and windowpanes.

“Whether on a large or small scale, his unusual sculptural creations oblige us to question and rethink our own role as actors in this static, consumerist and self-destructive society, which exploits, often in an abusive way, the resources that nature offers us,” shares Attero curator Lara Seixo Rodrigues.

With well over 8,000 visitors in its first week, Attero opened on November 4, 2017 and runs through November 26. You can see many more photos on Facebook and Instagram.