G-333 mural

A unique work of art in a unique setting. The Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida chose Barcelona to create his first giant ceramic mural. He was commissioned by the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) to create the work, which is attached to a wall facing one side of the iconic building.

Chillida's mural could be considered as a rereading of the technique used to produce Greek black-figure pottery. It is more than 15 metres wide, almost 6 metres high and has been placed 3 metres above the ground. He used a combination of chamotte clay made from volcanic soil and concrete tiles to make the work.

The mural came to fruition throughout 1998 at the German ceramicist Hans Spinner's studio in Grasse, in the south of France. After inspecting the site around the MACBA, Chillida considered the dividing wall adjacent to the side of the building – which was designed by the architect Richard Meier – to be the perfect location for his work. In a way, it picks up the baton from the huge, white block housing the art museum and completes the outer perimeter. Another shot in the arm for the Raval neighbourhood.