Urban Artist Bordalo II - Attero

"Attero" was the first major solo exhibition of Urban Artist Bordalo II (Artur Bordalo), at a warehouse in Beato, Lisbon, a space that also serves as the artist's studio. Taking its title from the Latin word for producing garbage or destroying, "Attero" opened the doors of Bordalo II's studio and invited visitors into his world, presenting a retrospective of his body of work made from trash transformed into something larger through his singular vision — an unavoidable commentary on consumerism and the abusive exploitation of natural resources. All 35 works on show, ranging from small to large scale, were unique and new, displayed inside a derelict and degraded warehouse that resonated powerfully with the nature of his work. Beyond the walls of the warehouse, the exhibition extended into the surrounding streets. As part of the show, Bordalo II created three new outdoor pieces from his "Big Trash Animals" series: a fox on Ave. 24 de Julho, a frog on Rua da Manutenção, and a monkey in the courtyard of the Xabregas warehouse itself. A programme of parallel initiatives accompanied the three weeks of the event, including guided tours led by biologist João Farinha and by curator Lara Seixo Rodrigues, a talk on marine waste. The public response was overwhelming, with more than 13,000 visitors having passed through, prompting the exhibition to be extended.