Barcelona gets surprise new anti-racism statue

Barcelona has a new surprise anti-racism statue: two bright red figures of a teddy bear and a young man embracing.

The work of French street artist James Colomina, it occuplies a plinth previously home to a statue of 19th-century slave trader, Antonio López.

That monument was removed in March 2018, amid a festive atmosphere of fireworks and performers, organized by Barcelona City Council and featuring the street theater troupe Comediants.

The new work, in contrast, was erected secretly, appearing without warning on Sunday.

Colomina explained in an Instagram post that the statue, entitled 'Humanitat' (Humanity), was installed on "the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Spain on January 30."

"This is a symbol of the positive relationship between men regardless of skin color, sex, religion," he wrote.

The square in central Barcelona where Colomina installed his statue is still named after López, but in June 2021, the council announced plans to change that, by dividing the square in two and naming one part 'Correus' after the historical post office nearby and the other part after Idrissa Diallo, a man originally from Guinea who died in a migrant detention center in 2012.

The long-term future of the new statue is unknown, but, following a safety inspection from the Barcelona fire brigade, the city council has said that it will be left in place for the time being, "like other ephemeral art exhibitions in the city."

The visible legacy of colonialism has become an increasingly hot topic in Catalonia in recent years. One of Barcelona's most emblematic monuments is dedicated to Cristopher Columbus, a man whose actions led to millions of deaths by kickstarting the colonization of the American continent.

Barcelona City Council has ruled out removing the statue, proposing instead an accompanying installation to explain its history.