22440 private pools, 1 million square meters of water for private enjoyment, 587 km of pool edges, or a 163 km long river if we line them all up. However, we are in one of the areas with the most water scarcity in Spain.

This research project reveals layers of information not only about swimming pools but also about the speculative value of the land, territorial policies, traditional orchards, displaced land, hedonistic practices, second homes, and tourism.

We are in a territory that has been transformed in the last 50 years. If the water has traditionally been used for irrigating orchards, the trend in recent decades has been to use it also for private enjoyment. The private pool is a status symbol that also acquires the ability to be a marker of the lifestyle that developers propose and sell in Vega Baja.

A research and performative project by Diego Abellán and Joaquín Lucas.