‘Birds of the World in the Skies Over Alcorcón’ in Alcorcón, Spain
Look up in Alcorcón and you might spot a flock of birds frozen forever in flight. They won’t migrate, sing, or flap their wings, but these colorful creatures have an important story to tell. Birds of the World in the Skies Over Alcorcón, created in 2009 by Peruvian artist Luis Arias Vera, fills Plaza de la Hispanidad with an exuberant celebration of flight and the natural world. Arias Vera saw birds as masters of something humans have spent centuries trying to imitate. Their effortless flight inspired our own attempts to conquer the skies, while their synchronized migrations transform the heavens into ever-changing aerial choreography. Their songs and spectacular plumage provide further reminders of nature’s creativity—and of how much of it can be overlooked amid Alcorcón’s apartment blocks and busy streets. The sculpture also reflects Arias Vera’s Peruvian heritage and his playful Pop Art sensibility, creating a curious meeting of Andean imagery and modern urban art. Its flock may be permanently grounded, but its message is anything but: we share this planet with other living creatures, and sometimes all it takes is a glance upward to remember it.
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