Fernando Botero's Medellín
Fernando Botero, Medellín’s most famous artist, is best known for his exaggerated bronze statues of people and animals, which are on display in cities around the globe. Whether you want to snap selfies with his statues or see some of his lesser known paintings, this is the city to do so. Here’s what you need to know.
Museum of Antioquia
The Museum of Antioquia in El Centro is home to one of the largest collections of Botero paintings in the world. Twelve separate rooms display 118 of his paintings, plus another 500 19th- and 20th-century works from other artists around Colombia. Botero-themed walking tours of the city often include admission and a guided tour of the museum collection.
Plaza Botero (Plaza de las Esculturas)
The city’s largest concentration of otero sculptures can be found at Plaza de las Esculturas, more popularly known as Plaza Botero. The space features 23 bronze statues donated by the artist himself, depicting men and women, animals, and mythical creatures. Just about every city sightseeing tour stops for a photo op in this busy plaza.
San Antonio Plaza
Perhaps two of Botero’s most interesting statues stand in San Antonio Plaza. The first of the pair of birds is typical Botero: fat and happy. The second, situated only a few steps away, has a hole torn through its torso. Known as the Pájaro de Paz (Bird of Peace), the latter was blown up by a FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces) bomb in 1995, so Botero created another alongside the original.
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