Metal Skin, street sculpture (Piel de Metal, arte calle) is the culmination of five years of work by Julio Nieto, a multifaceted Spanish artist from the Canary Islands.

This travelling exhibition comprises eight large-scale, outdoor sculptures: Viajero, ¿Y Alicia?, Enamorado de acero, Porqué me echaron del Cielo, Marea, Ícaro salvado, La Llamada and Coreografía.

The eighth sculpture in the series, Coreografía, will be unveiled for the first time during an outdoor performance at the vernissage.

The purpose of the project was to stimulate the imagination and communication of the general public of all ages and, as such, reinvent public spaces as the ideal setting to promote multicultural coexistence and dialogue among the local people. The artist’s idea is that “the public art experience allows anyone who walks by to inevitably participate, expanding their awareness of beauty. The passer-by is fascinated to find a sculpture in their everyday environment. A piece that is shared by people of all ages has the power to promote communication.”

The shapes of the sculptures were inspired from research of popular dreamlike themes. Nieto applied construction techniques that endowed each piece with a sense of strength and balance, creating sculptures capable of stimulating emotions in the spectator and promoting communication between people.

From 2008 to 2012, Metal Skin was on display in the squares and streets of the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. The building materials (steel and bronze) and dimensions of the works made them ideal for outdoor installations. In 2013 the exhibition toured art fairs, galleries and museums all over Europe.

The Metal Skin tour will culminate in the Diocesan Museum and Villa del Arte Galleries, Barcelona. Visitors will be taken on a journey through the story of the exhibition, and the history behind each sculpture.

Metal Skin, street sculpture was sponsored by a number of public organisations (the Government of the Canary Islands, the Council of Tenerife and the City Councils of each city visited) as well as private companies (El Corte Inglés, Seranca, Oral Design & Mildt, Bonnet, Fornax, RTVE Canarias and Innovasun).

Julio Nieto is a multifaceted artist whose talents include sculpture, poetry, performance art, installation and design. The artist, born in the Basque Country and now a resident of Tenerife, has shown his work at numerous galleries and art fairs in Europe and the USA and his large-scale works have been displayed in public squares in a number of cities. In 2009, Nieto won the Puerto de la Cruz Honorary Distinction and his work was chosen to represent the Canary Islands at Expo 2008 in Zaragoza. He has also received various art and design awards from the Government of the Canary Islands.

Julio Nieto is currently represented by Villa del Arte Galleries, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

Pia Almoina
Av. Catedral, 4
Barcelona 08002 Spain
info@villadelarte.com
www.villadelarte.com

Opening hours
Tuesday - Friday 11.00am - 6.00pm
Saturday 11.00am - 2.00pm and 14.30 - 6.00pm
Sunday 11.00am - 2.00pm

Tickets
Full rate 8.00€
Reduced rate 4.00€ (OAPs, students, the unemployed, familias numerosas and groups of 10 people or more)
Free for children under 7
The entrance is also valid for the exhibition Gaudí´s Studio, a unique collection of original works by world famous architect Antoni Gaudí.