Enjoying the Amazing Street Art of Barcelona

I’ve had the privilege of exploring many of the world’s greatest museums and art galleries. But I confess. My time in Barcelona was not spent in any art galleries or museums (other than the Chocolate Museum) and yet I enjoyed a tremendous amount of amazing art. How, you ask?

Just walking or driving around the streets of Barcelona exposes you to an awesome array of street art. Incredible sculptures, as well as architecture that, in itself, is a work of art. At every turn we happened upon a colourful, entertaining, outrageous or thought-provoking sculpture. Here’s a look at just a few!

This whimsical street art made me smile everytime we passed it.

There’s even art at the beach! This sculpture called L’Estel Ferit in catalan (meaning “The Wounded Star,” ) is by Rebecca Horn and is an homage to Barcelneta Beach.

the streets of Barcelona are lined with contemporary art

And then there’s the architecture! Contemporary buildings are colourful and interesting for the most part. Historic buildings are adorned with beautiful traditional statues and sculptures. Some cities are famous for abundance of eye candy as you walk down the streets. Barcelona is definitely one of them. And the nice thing is that people are out there enjoying them. Walking down the two-level boardwalk along the beach is terrific for people watching, inhaling the fresh sea air, and being in awe of the fabulous sculptures and architecture you pass along the way.

A stroll along Barcelona’s boardwalk is highlighted by “the Fish” sculpture by Frank Gehry

And there’s the Gaudi influence. I’d grown up using the word “gaudy” for describing something excessively bright, showy, tasteless or over the top. BB (before Barcelona,) I had always equated the word gaudy with the architect, Gaudi, as I had it ingrained in my mind that Gaudi’s architecture was considered by many as being gaudy. It is only today as I am writing this blog and referred to my trusty Canadian Oxford dictionary, that I see the origin of the word gaudy is a late 15th century word with Latin origins, existing long before Antoni Gaudi y Cornet (1852-1926.)

Surprisingly, I didn’t find Gaudi’s work to be gaudy. It is unusual, striking, inventive, and yes … “over the top” in many ways, but certainly not distasteful. What really impressed me about Gaudi’s work is that he is the instrument behind the infamous Sagrada Familia, a magnificent church that has been under construction for well over 100 years (the first stone was laid in 1882 and it is expected to be completed by 2030) yet, some of his work is quite modernistic in appearance (the apartment complex, La Pedrera for example.) Here’s a look at Gaudi old and new. What do you think?

the main entrance to Sagrada Familia

Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia has been under construction for nearly 130 years and is expected to take another 20 years to complete