Art in public space or what gems can you admire for free while wandering around Barcelona?

Barcelona is a city of art. This is proven not only by countless street art exhibitions, but also by various sculptures and mosaics that you will see all around you in this wonderful metropolis. The great advantage is that you can admire all this art for free, without paying.

Do you know which works you have to see in Barcelona or perhaps which of them were created for the occasion of the Olympic Games? Let's take a look at it together. 

Contents: Joan Miró mosaic on La Rambla, El Cap by Roy Lichtenstein, Wounded Shooting Star by Rebecca Horn, Goldfish by Frank Gehry, El Gato de Botero by Fernando Botero

Are you an art fan? See what art museums Barcelona has to offer. 

Beautiful and lively La Rambla with a mosaic in the center

Probably the busiest street in all of Barcelona - La Rambla. In addition to the many entertainment and shopping opportunities here, you must also appreciate the wonderful art here. All around you will see a beautiful example of Catalan modernism. As you look around, you will see buildings lined with decorative materials depicting plants. And roughly in the middle of this long boulevard, the famous mosaic from Joan Miró.

This is it, a mosaic by Joan Miró that is easily overlooked by most tourists...

The Miró Mosaic, the work of the surrealist artist Joan Miró, has decorated La Rambla since 1976. The entire mosaic is made up of terrazzo tiles made from a mixture of white cement and crushed glass. It was thanks to the high-quality material that the author's intention to let passers-by walk on the mosaic without fear of damaging it could be fulfilled. The entire work is dominated by blue, red and yellow colors in combination with white and black.

Otherwise, you can explore other works by Miró in Barcelona: immediately after arriving at the airport, you can find his mural outside the arrivals hall, or you can go to its museums on the slopes Montjuic hills and get to know his person and work properly. 

Joan Miró mosaic on the wall of Barcelona Airport

Where to find the mosaic on La Rambla: La Rambla 71 (next to the Liceu metro station)

El Cap, a pop-art head in the port of Barcelona

The Barcelona statue is also an unmissable sculpture The cap, which is also referred to as "Barcelona Head". Its author is the famous pop-art artist Roy Lichtenstein, who "dried" this work on the occasion of the Olympic Games in 1992.

Head of Roy Lichtenstein in Barcelona

The sculpture is inspired by art Antoni Gaudí, and therefore it is made of ceramic tiles. You can find it near the port, which you can walk down the street to La Rambla. Don't forget to visit the Columbus Monument along the way. (If you take the elevator up to the lookout, you can see the head sculpture quite well).  

Where to find the head: Pg. de Colom

Wounded Shooting Star Beach Cubes

So called Wounded Shooting Star (or in Catalan L'Estel Ferit) is another work of art dedicated to the Olympic Games in 1992. The sculpture is placed on Barceloneta beach and the locals often refer to her as "Dice" or "The Cubes".

Cubes on Barceloneta beach

The author of this work is the German artist Rebecca Horn. The whole "sculpture" is made of rust chiringuitos. These used to be the bars and fish and seafood stalls that lined the coast and beaches before the whole area was renovated in the early 90s just before the Olympics.

Although it is not very clear how to interpret the entire 10-meter steel and concrete work of art, it certainly has its value and place on Barcelona's street art map. 

Where to find "Cubes": Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta

Frank Gehry's Goldfish

Another unforgettable symbol of Barcelona has long been a sculpture created by Canadian architect Frank Gehry. This artist is, among other things, a co-author of the Prague Dancing House in Prague. A fish called in Spanish Goldfish and in Catalan Peix Daurat, was also created on the occasion of the Olympic Games in 1992.

Gehry's fish at Barcelona's Somorrostro beach

The statue, made of bronze-colored steel, is 56 meters long and reaches a height of up to 35 meters. The fish is made of a mesh material that creates beautiful reflections of the sun's rays. You cannot miss this artistic gem if you go from Barceloneta beach towards Somorrostro beach - it is located near the "Barcelona Twins", the skyscrapers Hotel Arts and Mapfre Tower.

Gehry's fish stands out best at sunset, when the light refracts nicely on it, it will sparkle and you will think it looks like gold. 

Where to find the fish: C/ de Ramon Trias Fargas, 2

A larger-than-life stray cat: El Gato de Botero

The statue of the stray cat El Gato de Botero can without a doubt be described as one of the symbols of street art in Barcelona. The statue was originally taken in 1987 and then really "wandered" for 15 years looking for the right place. Finally, in 2003, the cat was placed in a neighborhood Raval to the end of Rambla del Raval.

A statue of a cat in the Raval district

The huge metal cat sculpture was designed by Colombian artist Fernando Botero. You can see another work of this author immediately after arriving at Barcelona El Prat airport. A statue of a horse called Horse, which is also the work of this famous sculptor.

Boter's statue of a horse at Barcelona Airport

Where to find the cat: Rambla del Raval

In Barcelona, ​​you will encounter beautiful public art at almost every turn. Even if you have already visited the most famous places, you will always discover something new and breathtaking. Just walk and keep your eyes open. Or you can look at this page, where you can find a list of all known works in public space...

My tip: If you are interested in street art, you definitely have to visit in Barcelona Banksy Museum!

Author: Lucie Trinerová