Archaeology of recent memory: city and territory in Spain, 1986-2012

Archaeology of recent memory covers the impact of the economic cycle that began with Spain’s entry into the European Economic Community on architecture, urban transformation and the new landscapes that have emerged from the construction of infrastructures. Its purpose is to answer a number of questions: what architectural consequences did the economic boom have from an urban, social, and cultural standpoint? What were the biggest achievements? And the worst mistakes? How is the urban landscape evolving?

The first phase looks at the architectural and urban design transformations that have occurred in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela and Seville. The second phase analyses the impact of infrastructures and public works on Spain, in terms of the relationship between space and time, the energy model and the protection of natural resources.

The results of the research were presented at the exhibition Archaeology of recent memory. Constructing the city and territory in Spain 1986-2012″, which was open to the public at the Cervantes Institute in Tokyo (from 05/11/2013 to 14/12/2013) and at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid (from 31/01/2014 to 18/05/2014). A book/catalogue was also published under the same name, which includes texts by Juan Miguel Hernández León, Emilio Ontiveros, Miguel Aguiló, José María Ezquiaga and Víctor Pérez Escolano, among others.