Barcelona is a creative and artistic city with numerous statues scattered all over the city.
During your trip, you can visit some of them.
Today, I'm taking you on a city tour to discover Barcelona's most memorable statues.
Barcelona statue: article summary
Statue in Barcelona: Fernando Botero's Raval cat
The boomingEl Raval is becoming increasingly trendy. Complete with its own palm-lined Rambla. Worth a visit for the alternative art galleries, nightlife and, of course, the magnificent big cat waiting calmly on the spot!
This large bronze feline stands at the bottom of Rambla Raval. The kitty arrived in Barcelona in 1987 and has already moved twice. He once stood in front of the MACBAbut after much discussion and controversy, the city decided to move it to the Raval.
The artist responsible for this work is the famous Fernando Botero, a Colombian painter and sculptor renowned for his exaggerated, inflated human and animal forms. His enormous bronze sculptures have been exhibited in Los Angeles, New York, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago.
The Gambrinus by Javier Mariscal
Gambrinus is probably Barcelona's happiest lobster and one of the stars of Barcelona's public art scene. He's waiting at the end of Passeig de Colom with big claws ready to grab you. This huge lobster looks like something out of a cartoon. In 1992, it was, like most of Port Olympic's urban art, commissioned for the Barcelona Olympic Games.
Gambrinus was created by Valencian artist Javier Mariscal, nicknamed "the Peter Pan of Spanish design". He first won public adoration in 1988 with his creation of "Cobi", the official Olympic mascot of the 1992 Games, creating his visual identity with this friendly dog mascot. Gambrinus is intelligent, edgy and humorous. Below, there was once a Gambrinus café-bar, and although the café has now closed, the adorable lobster has remained to the delight of passers-by.
Statue in Barcelona: Roy Lichtenstein's Cap de Barcelone
Cap de Barcelona is such a distinctive piece of Barcelona street art that it's impossible to miss. The late American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein created a colorful portrait of a woman's face in the cartoonish manner for which he is so famous.
The face of Barcelona, commissioned for the 1992 Summer Olympics, was inspired by the work ofAntoni Gaudí. Lichtenstein was clearly so impressed by Gaudí's "trencadis" tiling technique that he adopted a similar technique to create his work.
The sculpture stands in front of the post office at the end of Passeig Colom. It can be viewed from several directions, and appreciated from different angles. A must-see if you want to discover Barcelona's statues.
Joan Miró's La Dona i Ocell
You'll find this statue of Barcelona behind the shopping mall Las Arenas and Plaça Espanya, in the Joan Miró park. "Dona i Ocell" means "woman and bird" in Catalan. These are recurring themes in Miró's work. Miró even if you don't always recognize them right away!
The striking 22-metre-high sculpture is located close to the lake and is rumoured to have been erected on Sant Joan's night, it glows in the light of the bonfire that seems to burn on the lake.
Joan Artigas helped Miró cover his concrete sculpture with brightly-colored pieces of broken mosaic. A technique often used in Gaudí's work.
Statue in Barcelona: Frank Gehry's Golden Fish
The Golden Fish overlooks Barcelona's beach and is a striking work of art set on the seafront skyline. The fish appears to swim beneath Barcelona's tallest buildings, the Hotel Arts and the Mapfre Tower, like a goldfish. in the deep reeds of a lake.
Its architect is none other than Frank O. Gehry, considered one of the most creative contemporary architects. The work cleverly plays with space, materials and form to create unusual, lively works. Like much of Barcelona's public art in this field, the fish has been commissioned for the 1992 Olympic Games.
This immense fish sculpture measures 54 m. It is inspired by Gehry's ongoing interest and fascination with the images and shapes of fish. The sculpture itself, made of stone, steel and glass, seems to change color in response to sunlight.
There are countless other public art sculptures all over Barcelona. I suggest you keep your eyes open during your trip. Savor every new experience as you encounter it.
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