3rd meeting of young researchers at UP 1 - IJUP - Universidade do ...

Recycled Spaces
Inês Alves
Department of Art and Design in Public Space
Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto, Portugal.
The architecture background and the understanding of the social sciences made me analyze and
perform in public space, often trying to understanding it on an individual perspective. [1]
Once, there was a town called Jelgava, in Latvia, a particular territory that sent me somewhere
in my thoughts. An introspective space by the river, that was a rubbish deposit and, at the same
time, used by homeless people.
Suddenly the idea of collect and organize trash began.
In a spontaneous way, and with up to 20 helping hands, a metaphor of a shelter was created. It
took 30 minutes to build it with only materials found in the surroundings. (Fig.1)
Fig.1 Mãja in 30’ - Jelgava, Latvia.
Leaving Jelgava, Mãja - which means home in Latvian - stands as a testimony of an outsider’s
reflection, but to me, it marks a beginning age of research in attempt to develop a sequence of
thoughts and actions to perform urban recycling.
The idea is to apply the same critic performance in different places, adapting each place to its
implicit needs, featuring the local resources, improving occupation capacities and leaving
marks of my inner thoughts. [2]
[1] Mela, Alfredo (1999), A Sociologia das Cidades, Editorial Estampa, Lisboa.
[2] Silvano, Filomena (2001), Antropologia do Espaço, Celta, Oeiras.
3 rd meeting of young researchers at UP 403