Hecho Polvo is an artistic installation created in Barcelona by the collective Habitants, a group of six women — Britta Funck, Pilar Poyatos, Gisele Freyberger, Lorena Duarte, Maya Jankovic, MDolors Gonzáles and Bruna Battistini — brought together by shared concerns and questions about art in public space, its potential to transform urban landscapes, and its role as a tool for social inclusion.

The installation takes the form of a text inscribed directly onto the ground, recounting the history of Plaça Dr. Fleming. The letters are made from a mixture of marble dust and white paint enriched with micro‑glass particles, creating a reflective effect that enhances their visibility and presence in the urban environment.

The dust works as a material of memory, tracing an unpredictable path through the city, carried and dispersed by those who move across the square.

The square pays tribute to Scottish physician and scientist Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin in 1928, whose research profoundly transformed modern medicine and saved millions of lives. Presented at Plaça Dr. Fleming in July 2006, the work engages with the site’s memory, transforming public space into a narrative surface.

It was produced as part of the Interferència 2006 Festival, with the support of the Barcelona City Council.

Author: Habitants Collective  

Location: Plaça Dr. Fleming  

Date: July 2006  

Materials: Marble dust, white paint, and glass beads  

Promoters: Interferència Festival 2006 and Barcelona City Hall