Immerse yourself in the delightful work of Fernando Botero at the Botero Sculpture Park, a busy outdoor plaza decorated with sculptures donated to the city by this illustrious modern artist. Botero’s distinctive style is strange, engrossing and joyous. Stroll around the plaza, browsing the famous sculptures, then sit back and savour the atmosphere in this lively public space.
Fernando Botero is an internationally acclaimed artist who was born in Medellín. He has donated many of his much-loved sculptures to the city, a number of which appear at the Botero Sculpture Park. Botero’s distinctive style represents animals and humans in obese forms, with unnatural proportions that often make the sculptures very humorous.
Wander around the 23 sculptures on display in the plaza. Photography is allowed, so take photos with some of the figures on display. These all have ultra-simple names such as Horse, Roman Soldier andHead.
Don’t miss the Bird of Peace, a charming sculpture with a tragic backstory. In 1995 the piece was blown up in a terror attack that killed 23 civilians, some of them children. The devastated ruins of the original Bird of Peace are still there, since Botero demanded that they remain as a monument to the victims. Instead of replacing the old statue, the artist built a new bird alongside it as a symbol of the city and the people’s recovery.
The park is also a lovely place to sit back, relax and watch the world go by. Magicians put on acts in the Botero Sculpture Park, and musicians play the Vallenato music that originates on Colombia’s northern coast. Head to one of the plaza’s restaurants, or grab a cheap snack from a street food vendor and plant yourself on a park bench. Try the empanadas, fried pastries filled with meat and potato. These are a Colombian speciality, although you will find different versions of the dish in other South American countries.
The Botero Sculpture Park is located in Medellín’s Old Quarter, right beside the Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture. The park is easily accessible by taxi or by taking the subway to the neighbouring Berrío Park station.
