Pez Comeplásticos

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“Pez Comeplásticos” (Fish Eating Plastic) by Javier Ternero, 2019
Paseo de Maritimo Torremolinos
El Bajondillo
Torremolinos, March 2024

“A huge iron and sheet metal fish, more than two meters high and four meters long, has been on the El Bajondillo promenade in Torremolinos for days. Its presence has caught the attention of tourists and neighbors, especially because its interior is full of plastic bottles, something that some have confused with an act of vandalism. Nothing could be further from the truth: this work by local artist Javier Ternero has been installed to raise awareness about the need to reduce pollution due to the use of products toxic to nature. The sculpture has been donated to the municipality by the Podemos assembly and was inaugurated last week. The stomach of this ‘Plastic Eater Fish’, as the work is called, remains full of non-biodegradable material to remember that plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose in the environment.” (The story of the enormous iron fish full of bottles in Torremolinos, Sur)

Santa Maria dei Servi

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San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi
Piazza Manzoni
Siena, April 2024

“The Church of Santa Maria dei Servi is a Romanesque style, Roman Catholic church in the Terzo of San Martino in the city of Siena, Tuscany, Italy. The church is built on the site of the former Church of San Clement, which was acquired by the Servite order in the Medieval era. The original Basilica was built in the 13th century, but later underwent reconstruction and transformation which continued until the 15th-16th century. The façade is simple and unadorned, with a single doorway and a rose window (indications of another can be discerned on the wall). It is in the Romanesque period style. The adjoining Campanile is likewise of the 13th century, richly embellished by four orders of windows. It was entirely restored in the 20th century. The church building stands atop it is cook entrance stairs, with views over the Duomo and the Palazzo Publico of Siena.” (Santa Maria dei Servi, Wikipedia)

Life Is Beautiful

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“Life Is Beautiful” by Mr. Brainwash, 2021
Battersea Power Station
Circus Road West, Nine Elms
London, May 2023

“Thierry Guetta (born January 31, 1966), best known by his moniker Mr. Brainwash, is a French-born Los Angeles–based street artist. According to the 2010 Banksy-directed film ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’, Guetta was a proprietor of a used clothing store, and amateur videographer who was first introduced to street art by his cousin, the street artist ‘Invader’, and who filmed street artists through the 2000s and became an artist in his own right in a matter of weeks after an off-hand suggestion from Banksy.” (Mr. Brainwash, Wikipedia)

Fontana dell'Onda

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Onda (Wave) fountain by Algero Rosi, 1972
Via di Fontanella
Siena, April 2024

“Onda runs south from the Piazza del Campo in the centre of the city. Traditionally, its residents were carpenters. Onda's symbol is a dolphin. Its colours are white and sky blue and the contrada describes itself as ‘The colour of Heaven, the force of the sea.’ Onda has the title of contrada capitana (captain contrada) because in the past its soldiers mounted guard at the Palazzo Pubblico.” (Contrade of Siena, Wikipedia)

Santuario de la Victoria

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Santuario de la Victoria
Plaza del Santuario
Málaga, March 2024

“This site has its origins in 1487. During that year King Ferdinand the Catholic, settled his camp in the same place until he conquered the city on August 18th. The graven image of Santa Maria de la Victoria (Saint Mary of Victory) was already by the monarch’s side during this time. The creator of the image is unknown. Legend has it that it was Emperor Maximilian of Austria who presented the icon to the Catholic Monarchs. During the siege of the city of Malaga some friars from the Order of Minims arrived bearing a letter from its founder, St. Francis of Paola, in which he requested permission to establish convents in the name of the Order in Spain and encouraged the king to maintain the siege of Malaga, as it would be taken in three days. The king delayed the granting of the permit until the end of the Reconquest and the fall of Malaga was ascribed to the intervention of the Virgin, who since then has also been honoured with the name of Santa Maria de la Victoria (Holy Mary of Victory), an inscription with this name is carved on the base of the image itself.” (Basilica and Royal Sanctuary of Santa Maria de la Victoria, Diócesis Málaga)

Vicolo degli Orefici

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Dead-end alley
Vicolo degli Orefici
Siena, April 2024

“Halfway down Via Pagliaresi (also known as Cane e Gatto) is Vicolo degli Orefici (Goldsmiths’ Alley), one of the most characteristic and least-known alleyways in Siena. A long, winding alley that opens onto a timeless world, enriched with plants and flowers, which the inhabitants take great care to tend to in this corner of Siena. This dead-end alley was once open and connected the Cane e Gatto street with the parallel yet distant Vicolo dei Magalotti, which connects Via Pantaneto with Via San Martino.” (Vicolo degli Orefici, VisitSiena)

Malaysia Square

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“Two-level urban canyon with integrated bridges and stairways”
Malaysia Square, Nine Elms
London, May 2023

“Malaysia Square will link the southern entrance of the restored Grade II* listed Power Station that has been re-imagined by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and the top of the new Electric Boulevard high street that runs between Foster + Partners’ ‘Battersea Roof Gardens’ and Gehry Partners’ ‘Prospect Place’. BIG, the Copenhagen and New York based group of architects, designers, builders and thinkers, won the world-wide design competition that was launched in June 2014 by Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) on behalf of the shareholders. Other contributors to BIG’s winning design team include structural engineers AKT II, lighting specialists Speirs + Major and the artist Jeppe Hein.” (Malaysia Square, Archilovers.com)