Els Mistos is a twenty-two-metre steel statue of a book of matches, which was inaugurated in 1992 in the Vall d’Hebron neighbourhood of Barcelona. The monument, which was created by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, depicts an open book of matches, one of which is burning with a blue flame. Some of the giant…
Tag: sculpture
Roman Scales by Jannis Kounellis
One of a series of eight sculptures which were installed in public spaces in the run-up to the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, Roman Balance, or Balança romana in Catalan, by Greek artist Jannis Kounellis is a reminder of Barcelona’s seafaring and industrial heritage. The statue consists of seven large cast iron balance pans, each loaded…
From Orwell to ‘Tripi’: The History of Barcelona’s Plaça de George Orwell
Tucked away in the labyrinthine heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, Plaça de George Orwell was created in 1989, when an entire block of housing was torn down. The creation of this, and other similar plazas, was conceived as a way of opening up the Gothic Quarter and presumably went hand in hand with the generalized…
Monument to the People Executed Between 1939 and 1952
The parapet of the people executed 1939-1952 (Catalan: Parapet de les executades i executats 1939-1952) is a fifty-five metre-long memorial to the 1,706 people executed in Barcelona during the early years of Franco’s dictatorship. The executions were by firing squad, and victims were lined up against a concrete wall which stood next to an area…
Hercules Fountains & The Origins Of Barcelona
According to legend, Barcelona was founded by the Greek God Heracles, who, together with his brother Hermes, accompanied Jason and the Argonauts, searching for the Golden Fleece. The brothers set sail with a fleet of nine ships, one of which was lost in a storm somewhere in the Mediterranean. After days of searching for the…
Desolation by Josep Llimona
Desolation (Catalan: Desconsol) is one of the best known and most evocative statues by Catalan sculptor Josep Llimona i Brugera. Born in Barcelona in 1863, Josep Llimona is widely considered to be the most influential sculptor of the Catalan Modernism artistic movement. His earliest commissions were mostly monuments and funerary statues. In fact, Desolation is…
The Wounded Star Sculpture by Rebecca Horn (L’Estel Ferit)
The Wounded Star (Catalan: L’Estel Ferit) by Rebecca Horn is one of several contemporary sculptures that were installed on Barcelona’s waterfront in preparation for the 1992 Olympics. The rusty iron tower is a homage to the rundown chiringuitos (beach bars) and seafood stalls that stood here before the area was refurbished and gentrified in the…
La Parella: The Couple by Lautaro Díaz Silva
One of my favourite walking routes in Barcelona is around the historic Port Vell harbour from the Christopher Columbus monument to the Barceloneta beach. Along the way you can enjoy views of the harbour filled with yachts and historic tall ships, take a look at the classic architecture and admire the diverse collection of contemporary sculptures…
A Room Where it Always Rains by Juan Muñoz
In preparation for the Olympic Games of 1992, Barcelona’s seafront and port were transformed from a neglected industrial area into one of the most attractive waterfronts in Europe. The whole area was given a facelift and a new marina was built, as well as apartment buildings to house the athletes. The old railway tracks that…
Homage to swimming by Alfredo Lanz
Spanish artist Alfredo Lanz has two sculptures on display near Barcelona’s waterfront. The better-known and largest of the two is Homage to Swimming (Catalan: Homenatge a la Natació), which is located in Plaça del Mar next to the Barceloneta and Sant Sebastià beaches. The Olympic disciplines of water polo, diving, crawl and synchronised swimming are…
Onades (Waves) by Andreu Alfaro
If you arrived in Barcelona by ferry or cruise ship, you will already be familiar with the Onades (waves) sculpture by Andreu Alfaro Hernández. Likewise, if you took a taxi from the airport to the city centre, depending on which area of the city you are staying in, there’s a good chance that you will have seen…
Marc by Robert Llimós
Marc is one of a pair of nearly identical statues by Robert Llimós portraying a colourful, genderless, neo-expressionist human figure holding a large picture frame which it is looking through. The sculpture was inaugurated in 1997 and it’s title is a play on words. Marc means frame in Catalan and the statue is dedicated to the artist’s…
David and Goliath Sculptures in Barcelona
Who isn’t familiar with the story of David and Goliath? The epic tale of a young shepherd boy who, armed with only a slingshot and a few stones, killed a fearsome giant and went on to become king of Israel. Over the centuries the story has become a synonym for the struggle between good and…
Wilfred the Hairy: History and Legends
Tucked away beside the north entrance to Barcelona Cathedral, there is a small stone sculpture of an extremely hairy knight fighting what looks like a griffin. The knight is Wilfred the Hairy (Guifré el Pilòs), who was Count of Barcelona from 878 until his death in 897. Wilfred the Hairy was born in 840 in Prades…
Fernando Botero’s Fat Animal Sculptures
Two of Barcelona’s most photographed sculptures bear the unmistakable hallmark of Colombian artist Fernando Botero. According to Wikipedia the artist’s trademark style is called Boterism and depicts people and animals in “exaggerated volume”. The Cat from the Raval Known locally as either “El Gato del Raval” or “El Gato de Botero” this over-nourished alley-cat was…
Joan Miró Park and the Woman & Bird Sculpture
The main attraction at Joan Miró Park is the 22m high Woman and Bird Sculpture (Dona I Ocell). This somewhat phallic tiled statue was constructed in 1983, just a few months before Miro’s death. Although the the main body of the sculpture might look inherently masculine, the vertical black hole on one side indicates that…
Frank Gehry’s Golden Fish Sculpture
The 52-metre-long golden fish sculpture El Peix is one of the best-known and most striking landmarks on Barcelona’s seafront. Its gold-coloured stainless steel surface shines under the Mediterranean sun and changes appearance depending on the angle of the sun and the current weather conditions. The fish statue was built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The gold-coloured…
Three Charming Art Nouveau Fountains by Josep Campeny
One of the things that makes Barcelona such a great place to live is the fact that, no matter how long you spend here, there’s always something new to discover. Everyone is familiar with sights such as the Sagrada Familia or the Pedrera, but I suggest you spend a few hours simply exploring and going…
Plaça de Catalunya – More Than Just a Metro Stop!
For many visitors Plaça de Catalunya is the first place they see when they arrive in Barcelona. If you take the Aerobus from the airport, the chances are you will get off here on the way to your hotel. Plaça de Catalunya is also the intersection between Las Ramblas, Portal de l’Àngel, Ronda de…
The Roger de Llúria Monument
This bronze statue of Roger de Llúria was constructed in 1885 by Catalan artist Josep Reynés. The statue is located on Passeig Lluis Companys, just opposite the main entrance to the Ciutadella Park and was originally part of a series of 8 statues of Catalan heroes. Who was Roger de Llúria? Roger de Llúria was…
Barcelona’s Head – Pop Art at the Old Port
The Barcelona’s Head sculpture (also known as Barcelona’s Face) was designed by American Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein for the 1992 Olympic Games. The striking 90-ton statue is covered with brightly coloured mosaic tiles, a clear tribute to the works of Antoni Gaudi. The design also shows a strong Picasso influence mixed with the comic book…
Gambrinus – Barcelona’s Giant Lobster Statue
This funky giant prawn/lobster statue was originally part of the decor at the Gambrinus seafood restaurant. The 10m long fibreglass sculpture was designed and built by Spanish artist Javier Mariscal. When the Gambrinus restaurant closed the statue was bought by Barcelona city council, restored and now takes pride of place on Passeig Colom near the Port…
Myths, Rumours and Equestrian Statues
A couple of weeks ago I was showing a friend from another part of Spain around Barcelona. As part of our impromptu tour we passed the statue of Ramon Berenguer III on Via Laietana. My friend asked me if I knew the significance of the fact that one of the horse’s hooves is raised. When…