Oasis?
The proposed megastructure is a result of the daily bureaucratic procedures of Presidio, Texas, a small town of 5000 inhabitants, 250 miles southeast of El Paso. The megastructure stands as a testament to the interplay between local processes and their continental ramifications. Presidio’s metamorphosis into a potential transmigrante route unveiled a new chapter in its narrative. In 2021, the town found itself on the radar of transmigrantes— importers who transport secondhand vehicles overland from the United States to Central America via Mexico. A fleeting stopover for these merchants lasts a couple of nights, entangled in the mesh of customs paperwork intricacies before setting forth with their acquisitions.
Simultaneously, the arid terrain of southwestern Texas emerged as an optimal microalgae cultivation hub, alongside other parts of the south of the US. A burgeoning market for these microorganisms, particularly spirulina, burgeoned among the affluent. This blue-green powder, hailed as a panacea by some, commands incredible prices in the market, its fascination transcending mere sustenance. As described by a New York influencer, it is a powder that costs $99 for a 30-serving bag and claims to be “all you really need, really.” The production of spirulina demands specific requisites—open-air raceways, sunlight, CO2, and wastewater. Yet, the alignment of these facilities with wastewater treatment plant locations poses a geographical problem. The constraints of climate and CO2 sources further compound this intricate puzzle, confining the growth of algae to select warm-climate states.
Presidio's water distribution system, drawing from the West Texas Bolson Aquifer, services the majority but leaves pockets along HWY 67 without of drinking water. Similarly, the absence of a wastewater collection system in this area renders the residents reliant on precarious solutions. The transmigrantes, halted along HWY 67, are, not surprisingly, the ones suffering the consequences. In this landscape, the megastructure becomes an amalgamation of logistical exigencies and production dynamics. Located literally on top of the city’s port of entry, it signals as a sanctuary for transmigrantes—a convergence of rest and leisure. It houses accommodations, recreational amenities, and algae cultivation facilities, while siting hoovering on US soil, exclusive to non-resident aliens.
The symbiotic coalescence of technological prowess and environmental consciousness defines this megastructure. It uses wastewater to fosters spirulina growth, through the absorption of the carbon emissions generated by the idling vehicles at the border due to inefficiencies of the bureaucracy. The megastructure, thus, becomes self-sufficient in water and economically as the collected spirulina, processed within its confines, embarks on a journey to upscale markets across metropolitan cities. A microcosm within the broader tapestry of capitalism and bureaucratic entanglements, the megastructure thrives as a parasitic embodiment.
2023
with Regine Leibinger and Karen Stein