Costa del Sol
Mijas town hall ordered to pay 25,000 euros after unauthorised repainting of La Veleta sculptureA court concluded that the modifications altered the message sculptor Juanma Reyes intended to convey through the piece
Añádenos en Google Before and after: the changes made to the La Veleta sculpture in La Cala de Mijas. (SUR)Mijas
24/06/2026 a las 08:22h.Mijas town hall has been ordered to pay 25,000 euros in compensation to sculptor Juanma Reyes after a court ruled that it unlawfully altered ... and repainted one of his public artworks without permission.
A Malaga court found that the local authority had infringed the artist's moral right to the integrity of his work by changing the colours of La Veleta, an eight-metre sculpture in La Cala de Mijas, as part of refurbishment works carried out in February 2024.
The court concluded that the modifications affected an essential element of the artwork and altered the message Reyes intended to convey through the piece. The judgment stated that the colours selected by the artist were "essential to the composition of the sculpture" and that the town hall had not altered a secondary feature but "an essential and fundamental element" of the work.
The judge ruled that, although the sculpture may have required restoration, the changes made during the process harmed the artist's legitimate interests. The judgment declared that Mijas town hall had "infringed the moral right to the integrity of the work".
The 'Ecce Homo of Mijas'
The case has drawn comparisons with the infamous "Ecce Homo" restoration in Borja, where an amateur's attempt to restore a religious mural became an international talking point. Josele González, leader of the local socialist opposition, described the controversy as "the Ecce Homo of Mijas".
The ruling also noted that the unauthorised restoration received media attention and that the impact extended beyond the artist himself.
Although the sculpture was later returned to its original colours and appearance, the court found that the infringement had already occurred because members of the public had seen the altered version and Reyes had been forced to view the modified work daily from near his home.
'It won't leave you indifferent'
The iron sculpture was unveiled on 15 October 2011, funded by 57 business owners from La Cala de Mijas. Installed on the roundabout at Avenida de El Limonar near El Chaparral school, La Veleta was inspired by children's games and finished with polyurethane and Teflon paint.
Speaking at its inauguration, Reyes said: "You might like it or you might not, but it won't leave you indifferent. It's a bold piece in which I've paid close attention to the shape, the curves and the colours, and that shows."
At the time, he also described the sculpture as "bold and daring", adding: "It's meant to provoke a reaction and, from what I can see, it's doing exactly that."
Fifteen years later, the work has generated a response few could have anticipated.