MUSEO DE LA BASURA

What is the Museo de la Basura?

The Museum of Garbage is an environmental art project led by Alejandro Durán that aims to transform the international waste washing up along the coast of Sian Ka’an in Mexico into art and awareness.

What started as a photo series of installations called Washed Up: Transforming a Trashed Landscape has grown to include many components, including the Washed Up photo series, portraits of international products found in Sian Ka’an, multimedia photo installations with plastic waste that appears to spill from large-scale photographs, a documentary film, video installations, and new initiatives currently in progress. Community-based beach cleans and educational programming are integral to the Museum experience. 

At its core, the Museum is an inclusive community that aims to awaken us to the possibility of a world in which we all play a part. A world that we preserve, steward, and create so that abundance, healing, betterment, inspiration, and alchemy can all flourish.

Where & When?

The Museum of Garbage is an ephemeral, itinerant space that looks to challenge the traditional concept of a museum. In its last iteration it existed at the Xo Ki’in Retreat Center in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve from Earth Day, April 22, 2023 and ran through May 14, 2023.  We are hoping to return in 2024 to create another edition. Stay tuned for updates!

Admission

While there is no set cost for entry, donations are greatly appreciated. The continued existence of the museum depends on your contribution.

You may also consider cleaning a portion of the beach in Sian Ka’an and bringing your unique finds to add to our ever-growing exhibits for admission.

Please reach out via the Contact page to RSVP and refer to our volunteer opportunities below.

Transportation

There is one coastal road that leads down to the Xo Ki’in Retreat Center through the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. The trip takes about 2.5 hours from Tulum. Once you enter the reserve the road is unpaved. It is an amazing immersive journey into the jungle, with beautiful scenic views of the Caribbean.

Please keep in mind that there is no cell phone service when you enter Sian Ka’an, so we suggest using the offline maps feature in Google.