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Topos V

Topos V, commonly known as Topos, is a sculpture by the Spanish artist Eduardo Chillida Juantegui. It is located in the centre of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, in Plaça del Rei, beside the Museum of the History of the City. The Barcelona city council acquired the work in 1986 for an exhibition devoted to Chillida by the Miró Foundation, and the artist himself indicated its placement there. Made of iron, the sculpture takes the form of a geometric diedral angle, closed on two sides with semicircular ends that recall medieval round arches. Its dimensions are 2.10 x 2.37 x 1.70 metres.

Topos V, a dark geometric sculpture with cutouts, stands in front of historic stone buildings in Barcelona.
Topos V rises in an urban plaza, contrasting with the surrounding historic architecture.
March 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0 es
Topos V, a dark geometric sculpture by Eduardo Chillida, stands in a stone-paved courtyard beside old stone buildings.
Topos V by Eduardo Chillida in Barcelona’s Plaça del Rei, framed by historic stone architecture.
May 2016 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Topos V, a large dark L-shaped sculpture with arched cut-outs, standing on a stone-paved plaza in Barcelona.
Topos V by Eduardo Chillida in Barcelona’s Plaça del Rei, shown against surrounding historic buildings.
May 2016 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Topos V by Eduardo Chillida in front of a stone building with a pointed arch window and café tables nearby.
Topos V by Eduardo Chillida shown outdoors beside a stone building in Barcelona.
May 2016 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Topos V sculpture by Chillida with a tall pillar and an arched block against historic stone buildings.
Topos V by Chillida, shown in front of historic stone buildings.
May 2011 © · CC BY-SA 3.0 es

Identification

TitleTopos V
TypeSculpture
Name originDerived from the Greek word "topos", meaning "space" or "place"
Common nameTopos

Historical context

Date1986

Creator

ArtistEduardo Chillida
Artist nationalitySpanish Basque
Artist lifespan1924–2002

Location and ownership

Placement noteInstalled in Plaça del Rei following the sculptor's own suggestion
Installation assistanceInstalled with help from engineer José Antonio Fernández Ordóñez
Unveiling date6 March 1986
Unveiling contextUnveiled during a ceremony attended by the sculptor himself
Acquisition contextPurchased in 1986 on the occasion of a Miró Foundation exhibition dedicated to Chillida
Purchased byBarcelona city council
Specific settingIn Plaça del Rei, among the Palau Reial Major, the Chapel of Saint Agatha, and the Museum of the History of Barcelona
Current locationPlaça del Rei, Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain

Physical characteristics

FormGeometric dihedral angle closed on both sides by metal sheets
Structural detailsThe two open sides face the square
DecorationSmall semicircular arches
WeightAbout 7 tons
Dimensions2.10 × 2.37 × 1.70 m

Materials

MaterialIron

Appearance

Stylistic associationsRelated to Romanesque semicircular arches and medieval architecture
Visual referencesPossibly refers to the letter B for Barcelona and to medieval arches or windows

History and restoration

Installation contextInstalled as part of a retrospective exhibition of Chillida's works at the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona
Placement rationaleIts geometry, scale, brown color, and textures were intended to dialogue with the surrounding medieval architecture

Significance

Interpretive effectCreates a contrast between the centuries separating the square's medieval buildings and the sculpture's era
Interpretive functionDesigned to complement contemporary sculpture and medieval architecture