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All Mexico Mexico City Future Forest
Future Forest is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Future Forest

A colorful "forest" made entirely from three tons of recycled plastic waste.

Mexico City, Mexico

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Mario Yair T.S.
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The main entrance.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
The main entrance.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
The lake zone.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
A deer.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
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Future Forest   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In April of 2018, the annual Flowers and Gardens Festival was held in Mexico City, and one of the art installations created for the event was destined to stay at the Chapultepec Botanical Garden long after the festivities were over. It is the "Future Forest," created by artist Thomas Dambo out of three tons of recycled plastic.

The plastic forest is a colorful garbage garden with a lake, caves, trees, a waterfall, and many different animals, all made with waste that Dambo and his team found recovered from the Aragon dump. There are coconuts made with the plastic skulls used to collect Halloween candy, soda bottle grass, trees made from buckets, and plenty of plastic flowers. A lot of plastic animals are hidden within the forest, too: foxes, rats, caterpillars, chameleons, vultures, deer, turtles, and even a panda. 

The idea of the project is to encourage recycling, which is why Dambo worked with schools and elderly homes to enact recycling campaigns to gather materials. The goal is also to change people's perception of trash from something gross to something important and full of potential. Dambo worked with garbage collectors in the city of Aragon to collect all the plastic possible over the course of eight weeks, and turn it into something beautiful.

Update: As of August 2019, the 'Future Forest' is no longer on display. 

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Garbage Trash Recycling Gardens Forests Trees Flowers Art Ecosystems Plants

Know Before You Go

The Future Forest is found within the botanical garden in Bosque Chapultepec. The garden is a nice and peaceful place to get away from the crowds of the bustling park, and take in this creative, whimsical artwork. The installation will remain there until further notice. Admission is free.

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Added By

Mario Yair TS

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thehaych

  • thehaych

Published

September 27, 2018

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Future Forest
Paseo de la Reforma s/n
Mexico City
Mexico
19.423837, -99.181271
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Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

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Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

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Stories 17

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