Bordalo II Transforms Aberdeen’s Trash into a Mythical Unicorn, Nuart Aberdeen 2018
Portuguese artist Bordalo II brought his Big Trash Animals to Scotland for Nuart Aberdeen, creating a monumental Trash Unicorn from discarded materials collected in Aberdeen and the surrounding area. The choice connected Bordalo II’s environmental practice with one of Scotland’s most recognisable cultural symbols.
Bordalo II’s Big Trash Animals and Waste
Bordalo II’s Big Trash Animals transform discarded plastics, vehicle parts and other urban waste into large-scale animal sculptures. By using rubbish as both material and message, the artist exposes the environmental consequences of overconsumption, pollution and throwaway culture.
Rather than disguising the waste, Bordalo II allows its previous life to remain visible, connecting each animal directly to the materials and human behaviours threatening the natural world.
A Trash Unicorn Made From Aberdeen Waste
The Trash Unicorn was constructed from end-of-life materials gathered in Aberdeen and the surrounding area, giving the sculpture a direct physical connection to the city in which it was created.
Its message extends beyond wildlife. Through the unicorn, Bordalo II considers how pollution and excessive consumption affect natural habitats, human communities and the cultural identities we build around the places we inhabit.
Bordalo II on the Meaning of the Big Trash Animals
The artist explains,
“It’s not about turning the trash into something beautiful, it’s about creating images of victims with what kills them.” Bordalo II
The quote captures the central idea behind Bordalo II’s Big Trash Animals. The discarded materials are more than a sculptural medium; they become part of the subject itself, physically connecting each animal with the environmental forces placing wildlife under pressure.
Why Bordalo II Chose a Unicorn for Scotland
The unicorn was a particularly resonant subject for Bordalo II’s Aberdeen sculpture. As Scotland’s national animal, it carries centuries of associations with strength, independence, imagination and Scottish cultural identity.
By recreating this mythical creature from contemporary waste, Bordalo II brings together heritage and environmental urgency, turning an ancient national symbol into a reflection on the consequences of modern consumption.
The Unicorn in Scottish History
The unicorn has appeared in Scottish royal heraldry for centuries and became one of the country’s most enduring national symbols. Before the Union of the Crowns in 1603, two unicorns supported the Scottish Royal Arms.
When James VI of Scotland became James I of England and Ireland, one unicorn was replaced by the English lion, creating the familiar lion-and-unicorn pairing associated with the union of the crowns.
Check out the video and interview of Bordalo ii by Fifth Wall TV below…
Bordalo II at Nuart Aberdeen
Nuart Aberdeen brought local, national and international artists into the Granite City through site-specific murals, installations, interventions and temporary exhibitions, creating a public platform for contemporary street and urban art.
Bordalo II’s Trash Unicorn connected that programme directly to Aberdeen and Scottish identity while extending the environmental language of his wider Big Trash Animals project. Built from the city’s discarded materials, the sculpture transformed a mythical national animal into a contemporary reflection on waste, consumption and environmental responsibility.
Photo Credit Brian Tallman Photography