This is Joan Juncosa, an urban artist who restores the benches of Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia with graffiti patches. The idea of this project was to raise awareness among citizens of the need to rescue Barcelona’s heritage. An architect by profession, he dedicates his free time to making urban art with a message, with graffiti on the tiles of the streets of Barcelona.
Raising awareness about the proper use of public spaces
From Friday, June 7th, trencadís benches will be installed in Passeig de Gràcia. Juncosa’s goal is to raise awareness about the proper use of public spaces. Juncosa, invites us to reflect on the importance of “the jewels of design which belong to all of us”.
On the morning of June 7, there were up to eight benches that appeared with Juncosa, who says that they are Band-Aids of modernism 2.0, which is nothing more than artistic patches. According to Juncosa, they serve to “heal the wounds of these design jewels that are begging to be pampered”. This has highlighted the poor condition of these benches, which, although they go unnoticed by many locals, are admired by visitors.
Benches on Passeig de Gràcia designed in 1906
It should be noted that some of these benches are artistic elements designed in 1906 by the municipal architect Pedro Falqués Urpí (1850-1916). These represent a total of 32 that were built with the classic trencadís of Catalan modernism. Over time, vandalism and lack of maintenance have turned them into benches with wounds that need to be restored.
This is why this project comes into play with the objective of creating awareness among citizens that this is everyone’s heritage.
Benches on Passeig de Gràcia: Juncosa’s weapon is art.
For Juncosa, defending heritage is a priority, which is why he has become a citizen guardian, defending heritage. In addition to keep fighting to make a better Barcelona, hence his phrase “My weapons are art”. The people of Barcelona have a very beautiful heritage that must be cared for by all of us. This means that it is not only the responsibility of politicians, it also involves citizens, explains Juncosa.
Geometrically matching patches
Therefore, Juncosa thought of placing modernism 2.0 band-aids, which are patches made of foam. As are the sponges that fit very well in the broken areas of the banks by geometry. They are patches that fit perfectly, and just as they are placed, they are also removed.
According to Juncosa, these benches on Passeig de Gràcia do not have glue or anything that would spoil the material of the bench, as he would not dare to do anything that would damage the heritage. For this reason, he preferred the removable option. As for the patches they have garish colors, these are true to the style and define the architect’s art.
