5 Sculptures to go on a low-cost tour through Barcelona (II)

The January slope continues to rise and the first month of the year goes on slowly and heavily. Although we are already in the second fortnight and February looms in the distance, the saddest day of the year and the so-called Bearded Week tell us that the worst is not over yet. That's why we continue with our low-cost proposal for Barcelona, which allows you to enjoy a day touring our city at a low cost, where we can visit some of its most representative sculptures. Join us!

Wounded star

Also known as the cubes, this sculpture has become a major attraction for Instagrammers, both local and foreign. Its location by the sea and the play of light that occurs when the sun rises behind the object means that hundreds of images featuring this sculpture designed by Rebecca Horn can be found online.

Four cubes, stacked haphazardly on top of each other, have become one of the symbols of the neighborhood. From there, the interpretations vary. The most widespread suggests that this sculpture is a tribute by Horn to the legendary beach bars that dotted the shore until the pre-Olympic transformation. Another imaginative yet less substantiated theory posits that the cubes are an allegory to the Barceloneta quarter's tiny 30 m2 apartments that emerged in the neighborhood's origins between the 18th and 19th centuries.

Mammoth of the Ciutadella

What is a mammoth doing in the Ciutadella Park? Visitors to Barcelona's main urban garden ask themselves this question every day. To answer that question, one must go back to the origins of the enclosure, when after the Universal Exhibition of 1888 it was decided to convert the park and all its modernist pavilions into a true scientific “protohub” to house the headquarters of various disciplines of knowledge.

In that context, at a certain point, there was a commitment to reconstruct various prehistoric species that had inhabited Catalonia, of which only a mammoth was eventually created. As an interesting fact, it is worth noting that the sculpture, made by Norbert Font, represented a significant constructive innovation at the time, as it was made using reinforced concrete, a technique not yet existing in Barcelona in 1907. Regardless, what is undeniable is that since then, this antediluvian creature has become a favorite among the little ones, who take the opportunity to climb onto its trunk and take pictures with it.

David and Goliath

Built on the former industrial grounds of Poblenou for the 1992 Olympic Games, the Parc de les Cascades is one of the symbols of Barcelona's opening to the sea. In addition to its green area, the complex also includes a series of sculptures called The Power of the Word, designed by Auke de Vries and which was a gift from the Netherlands to the city of Barcelona during the Olympic Games. Without any doubt, however, the most striking sculpture of the entire complex is David and Goliath, by the Catalan artist Antoni Llena. It is a huge mask that appears to be floating in the air, thanks to the lightness of its supports, three twisted legs that give a sense of fragility and that at any moment the mask could come tumbling down.

This controversial work was commissioned by the then city planning delegate of the Barcelona city council, Oriol Bohigas, who decided to fill the city with sculptures at a time when the MNAC was closed and the MACBA had not yet opened. Perhaps it is because there is not too much explanation in his work that today, 27 years later, it remains as misunderstood as it is photographed.

Barcelona

Seven independent sculptures that, when viewed in perspective, form a unity. This is Barcino, the work of Joan Brossa that welcomes you to the ancient Colonia Iulia Augustia Faventia Paterna Barcino, the origin of Barcelona, which was erected on a hill fort in the area now occupied by the Gothic quarter. It is no coincidence that this sculpture is located next to the cathedral, as there, in the Nova square, was one of the entrance gates to the Roman citadel, of which we still have remnants that bear witness to it.

Through six letters carved in bronze and one in aluminum, Joan Brossa pays tribute to the Roman origins of our city with seven pieces of art that only achieve unity with the right perspective and setting. This ideogram was created by the poet and visual artist Joan Brossa in 1992, although it was not placed on the street until 1994, when it was embedded in the ground next to the old citadel wall. Since then, it has become yet another attraction among the many treasures of the area, enjoyed daily by tourists wandering around the cathedral precincts.

Dragon of Park Güell

It could undoubtedly be one of the most emblematic sculptures of our city, but the conversion of Park Güell into a paid venue goes against the spirit of these articles, which was to offer a low-cost plan to enjoy a trip in Barcelona affordably. Nevertheless, we cannot deny the enormous symbolic significance that the famous dragon has become an authentic symbol not only of the park but of Barcelona itself.

Ascending from the Gatekeeper's House which gives access to Park Güell, we encounter the famous symmetrical staircase that leads to the already iconic stone-sculpted salamander finished in trencadís, with which hundreds of tourists take photographs throughout the day. Once there, all that's left is to arm ourselves with patience, wait our turn, frame the shot well, take a photo, and then crop it so it looks like we were alone at that moment.

In addition to this decalogue offered over the past two weeks, Barcelona boasts a large number of sculptures scattered throughout the city, which not only decorate squares, parks, and streets but also pay tribute to great figures from our environment or our time. The Lady with the Umbrella, the Flirty Giraffe, the Thinking Bull, Little Red Riding Hood, Carmen Amaya, or the tribute to Walt Disney are just a few examples of the hundreds that we can find while wandering through our neighborhoods. To discover them, all we need is a T-10 ticket, the willingness to walk, and to have our mobile phone fully charged. A fantastic photo opportunity awaits you just around the corner.