Port of Malaga succumbs to academic criticism and reduces giant sculptures display to just six months

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Following a controversial debate, the Port Authority has reduced the initially agreed 25 years to a minimum, after which Neptune and Venus will be moved to another 'agreed location where they will have less impact'

Regina Sotorrío

Wednesday, 14 January 2026, 14:49

The temporary installation of the Las columnas del mar ensemble, comprising the giant Neptune and Venus bronze sculptures guarded by two lions, has been granted only six months of display at the entrance to Malaga port.

After heavy criticism from several arts and cultural institutions, the Port Authority has succumbed and decided to decrease the length of time they will be displayed from the 25 years stipulated in the contrac, to only half a year. They will thwn be moved to another "agreed location where they will have less impact".

The announcement was made on 14 January, just minutes before representatives of the academy, cultural association Ateneo de Málaga, the academy of sciences, the institute of urban and social studies and the Amigos del País economic society were to gather and present an institutional declaration against public works which, they claim, "do not represent the cultural identity of the city".

San Telmo academics expressed their opposition to the eight-metre Neptune and five-metre Venus sculptures on 8 January, when the concrete foundations were installed. The harsh statement, signed by head of the academy Rosario Camacho, described the work as "disproportionate" and called its aesthetic "more suitable to the Marvel universe" than to a key urban environment in the city, such as the port. According to it, the sculptures would also alter the urban landscape.

Later, critical voices from other cultural institutions, such as Ateneo, joined in and an collection of signatures was launched online. In just over 24 hours, almost 1,200 signatures were collected. Despite the experts' opinion, during a street survey on Tuesday, SUR found that 50% of those surveyed were in favour of the sculptures at the port, while 43% were against them, which shows that there is support for the project.