The Spanish Council of Ministers recently designated Joan Miró's iconic ceramic mural at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport as a Cultural Asset of National Interest (BIC). This declaration provides the artwork with the highest level of legal protection under Spain's Historical Heritage Law. Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun proposed the measure, ensuring the preservation of this significant piece of public art.

The Ministry of Culture began the process for this declaration in November. The mural is now categorised as a movable asset. Miró created the large mosaic in collaboration with ceramist Josep Llorens Artigas. The Ajuntament de Barcelona commissioned the work in 1968, coinciding with an airport expansion. This fulfilled a promise Miró made in 1968, stating Barcelona would receive "the great work I had not yet offered it."

A Monumental Artwork

Workers assembled the mural in 1970, a process that took six months. They installed 60 ceramic plates daily to cover the artwork's 500 square metres. The mural officially opened on 18 March 1971. It measures 50 metres wide by 10 metres high. The artwork consists of 4,865 rectangular glazed tiles arranged horizontally. Its large size and materials give the piece an approximate weight of 35 tonnes.

All the plates were fired in a noborigama kiln at Llorens Artigas's workshop. This stepped kiln produces irregular and uneven results on the ceramic surfaces. Miró and Artigas's freedom in enamelling further accentuates these colour and light effects. The artists required 464 firings to bake the nearly 5,000 mosaic pieces. This meticulous process created a unique visual texture.

Miró and Artigas's Collaborations

This airport collaboration was not the first project for Miró and Llorens Artigas. It forms part of their extensive period of large ceramic murals. The two artists worked together on these projects between the 1940s and 1980s. Their other public works include pieces at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris (1957) and Harvard University (1960). They also created murals for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York (1967) and the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence (1968). Additionally, their work adorns the Congress Palace in Madrid (1968).

The protection of the Miró airport mural ensures its long-term conservation. This decision highlights Barcelona's rich artistic heritage. It also secures a prominent landmark for the millions of travellers passing through Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport each year. The mural remains a powerful symbol of Catalan art for both residents and international visitors.

Sign up for our new entrepreneurs community Bizcelona, now accepting our second wave of applicants.

Originally published by Tot Barcelona. Read original article.