
The artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen selected an everyday object for this sculpture. Els Mistos tumble messily form a box. one is lit with a blue flame, as the others lie scattered on the ground. Since 1992 the sculpture, in steel and painted acrylic, has decorated what was the Vall d’Hebron Olympic Zone during the Barcelona Games.
Matches with a pop look
Els Mistos make up a 20 × 9 × 13-metre group of sculptures, with matches painted in vivid colours: black, yellow, red and blue. They are the work of artist Claes Oldenburg and his wife, the art critic and restorer Coosje van Bruggen. This couple, of Scandinavian and Dutch origins respectively, are benchmarks of American pop culture, especially renowned for pieces that reproduce essential objects in giant sizes.
Claes Oldenburg is one of the pioneers of pop art. He opened a shop in New York in 1962 that sold plaster representations of hamburgers and cakes, following the trend of converting consumer products into works of art.
Dynamism and character
The sculpture, also known by its English name of Match Cover, is located at the intersection of Avinguda del Cardenal Vidal i Barraquer with Carrer del Pare Mariana, in Vall d’Hebron Park. It is an attractive, joyful and fun work, with great dynamism, and it brings character to its surroundings. Opposite is the Spanish Republic Pavilion, which was reconstructed in 1992 following the original model of Josep Lluís Sert at the 1937 Universal Exhibition in Paris.




Cultural heritage
-
Horta-Guinardó
la Vall d'Hebron
- Address:
- Jorge Manrique, 9
- Districte:
- Horta-Guinardó
- Neighborhood:
- la Vall d'Hebron
- City:
- Barcelona
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