'Dona i Ocell' ('Woman and Bird')

This 72-foot (22-meter) statue stands in a park named after Joan Miró, its creator. The statue was a collaboration with Joan Gardy Artigas, who applied its colorful tiles. It’s one of three pieces commissioned by the city of Barcelona to welcome visitors. 

“Dona i Ocell” (“Woman and Bird”) continues Miro’s theme of using women and birds. Its name has an additional meaning, too, as ocell is also a slang term for penis, and the statue has a rather phallic shape. There’s also a yonic gap down the side of the statue, which is outlined with dark tiles.

Joan Miró Park stretches across four city blocks, though it’s divided in to separate spaces. One area has many different trees including eucalyptus, pine, and palm trees. Another is paved and contains the artificial lake, with the sculpture towering in a corner. The park is also known as Parc de l’Escorxador, which translates as Slaughterhouse Park, as a slaughterhouse once occupied the area.  The park opened months before Joan Miró’s death, though he was too ill to attend the sculpture’s dedication.