This municipal initiative, conceived as the first in an annual series, seeks to revive the tradition of acquiring and installing artistic pieces in various city districts. According to the mayor, the plan aims to provide public spaces with "significant, evocative sculptures that dignify spaces, reconnect with neighborhood history, and make the right to artistic beauty accessible to citizens."
Three of the six sculptures already have defined themes. One will be dedicated to Ildefons Cerdà in Plaça Universitat, while another will honor Montserrat Caballé and Freddie Mercury in Plaça de les Glòries, commemorating their anthem for the 1992 Olympic Games. The third piece, proposed by the employers' association Pimec, will be dedicated to entrepreneurship and located in the 22@ district.
“"We are delighted that there are debates, but decisions must be made, and they have already been made."
The remaining three sculptures will be commissioned from emerging artists from the city's art schools through upcoming competitions. For the works with closed themes, a shortlist of established artists will be invited to submit their proposals.
The plan, inspired by the "monumentalization of public space" of the 1980s and 1990s, linked to the Olympic Games and promoted by former mayor Pasqual Maragall, seeks to "continue our tradition of democratizing art." The City Council is already working on identifying 40 potential sites for these new monuments, distributed throughout the city, including consolidated residential areas and developing neighborhoods such as Marina del Prat Vermell or Sagrera.
