Barcelona City Council will install six new public art interventions across the city by 2027, including monuments honouring urban planner Ildefons Cerdà and opera singer Montserrat Caballé alongside Freddie Mercury. Mayor Jaume Collboni presented the Municipal Programme for the Promotion of Public Art 2026-2027 at the Saló de Cent, aiming to encourage contemporary creation and establish Barcelona as a vibrant cultural space.
Mayor Collboni, joined by Culture and Creative Industries Councillor Xavier Marcé, explained the plan. He stated, "We are launching this public art plan with the desire to turn our city's squares and streets into a true open-air museum, with sculptural pieces that are evocative, that re-signify spaces, that connect with the memory of the city and its neighbourhoods, and that are above all accessible to all citizens, to also guarantee the right to artistic and sculptural beauty, and to continue with this very Barcelona tradition of democratising art." The programme will feature three works by established artists and three by emerging artists.
Overseeing the Art Programme
The Public Art Council will manage the programme's deployment. This council comprises members from the Institute of Culture (ICUB), the Municipal Institute of Urban Landscape and Quality of Life (IMPUQV), the Chief Architect's Office of Barcelona City Council, and major city museums such as the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Joan Miró Foundation, the Frederic Marès Museum, and MACBA. Three independent, recognised experts also sit on the council.
The council will propose locations and artists, evaluate artistic submissions, and select the winning projects. Each chosen proposal will be designed for a specific city space, considering its urban, historical, and social conditions. The Chief Architect's team will provide suitable sites, taking into account needs expressed by the districts. Maintenance and potential degradation criteria will also influence the final selection of works.
Honoring Key Figures and Entrepreneurship
For the established artists category, the Public Art Council will invite three participants to compete for each of the three works. These artists will receive a fee of €4,500 (excluding VAT) for their participation. This invitation will include a commission brief detailing the location, relevant technical information (mobility, water, electrical installations), the intervention's theme, and its objectives. The first three commissions under this category are tributes to Ildefons Cerdà, Montserrat Caballé and Freddie Mercury, and Entrepreneurship.
In contrast, the City Council will launch a competition for the three emerging artist interventions. This competition is open to emerging artists of any age and nationality linked to Barcelona. The call for proposals has no restrictions on theme, techniques, or artistic languages, but each proposal must be for a permanent outdoor public space intervention. The competition rules will also provide location, technical information, theme, and objectives for each intervention.
Funding and Future Maintenance
The Municipal Programme for the Promotion of Public Art 2026-2027 will be funded by the municipal budget. A specific, biannual budget allocation of €1,500,000 (excluding VAT) will be created within the investment chapter for this purpose. This funding will cover both categories of artists. Maintenance and restoration costs for the artworks will be handled separately by the Municipal Institute of Urban Landscape and Quality of Life (IMPUQV).
