Xavier Corberó — A Prominent Catalan Sculptor

The Catalonian sculptor Xavier Corberó is known for his monumental public sculptures, which can be seen in Barcelona, London, New York, and many other cities, and for designing the 1992 Summer Olympics medals.

He is often regarded as the most significant artist to come out of Catalan since Gaudi. Born in 1935 and died in 2017, he had a career that spanned 50 years. Despite spending most of his life in Barcelona, Corberó briefly spent time in London at the Central School of Arts and Crafts before moving to Lausanne in France. He has spent time in Switzerland and New York City.

In 1968, Corberó began to acquire land, beginning with an old potato farm called Can Cargol in Esplugues de Llobregat, just outside of Barcelona. This would mark the beginning of a 40-year long project that the artist is most known for, his surreal home. The plot of land contained derelict houses and industrial structures, which he mostly demolished, keeping a few of the main features.

Corberó wanted his home to be representative of his work and a reflection of himself, creating the Labyrinth House. It is a home that occupies 48,000 sq ft, over nine interconnected buildings, 12 courtyards, and over 300 archways. The house contains studios, living areas, gallery spaces, and a subterranean workshop. The details of the house are created to let exterior beauty be seen, letting natural light in. The artist wanted to create poetry, Corberó stated, “Whether it’s sculptures, building, or spaces, the outcome of what I do has to be poetry, which I believe is the measure of all things.”

Over the years he has hosted multiple artists at the retreat, crediting Salvador Dali as a friend and frequent visitor, and some say his influence can be seen in the design. Even in his death, the building was unfinished, at 81 years of age he said, “I can’t stop.”