Els Mistos Origins 

Claes Oldenburg is one of the pioneers of Pop Art. Earlier, in 1962, he opened a shop in New York selling plaster casts of hamburgers and cakes, following the trend that transformed consumer products into works of art.

Consequently, many of his works were made in collaboration with his wife, Coosje van Bruggen.

Additionally, both artists, of Scandinavian and Dutch origin, respectively, are icons of North American pop culture, best known for pieces that reproduce every-day objects on a giant scale.

Hence, the pair were commissioned in 1987 to produce a unique work  for the Olympic area of ​​Vall d’Hebrón.

The Sculpture

Hence, the sculpture represents a box of matches fallen to the ground, containing five pointing upwards, one of which is lit. Around the box there are four more matches scattered in various places, which have already been used.

Consequently, they are painted in bright colours, black, yellow, red and blue. The sculpture rests on a concrete base and, in addition to the refined work of each piece, stands out for its successful integration into the environment. The measurements are 20 x 10 x 13 metres.

Furthermore, the materials are steel and fibreglass. It was inaugurated in January 1992, in time for the Olympic Games in Barcelona that summer.

Character

Finally, the sculpture, also known by its English name ‘Match Cover’, is located at the intersection of Cardenal Vidal i Barraquer Avenue and Pare Mariana Street, in Vall d’Hebron Park. Undoubtably, it is an attractive, cheerful, and fun work, endowed with great dynamism and adding character to its surroundings.

Significantly, opposite it is the Pavilion of the Spanish Republic, rebuilt in 1992 based on the original model by Josep Lluís Sert at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair.