The recently renovated Plaza del Carmen has become the center of artistic and urban planning debate in the capital following the installation of *El rumor de la discordia*, an imposing sculpture that seems to defy the laws of physics.
The work, conceived by renowned Mexican artist Gonzalo Lebrija, elevates the bronze figure of a horse suspended in midair more than six meters above the ground, supported by a slender 4.4-meter steel-and-concrete structure that creates the optical illusion that the animal is floating without any visible supports.
The sculpture is on temporary loan to the capital
Manufactured and cast in workshops in the Basque Country, the piece was promoted and financed by Exacorp One, a company linked to the five-star Thompson Madrid hotel, located in the square itself, as part of a public-private partnership.
Thanks to this agreement, the artwork has been loaned free of charge to the Madrid City Council to remain on display in the public sp for a minimum period of 15 years. As Lebrija himself explains, the sculpture seeks to pay homage to the uncertainty and fragility of the human condition, reinterpreting traditional equestrian monuments through the language of balance and weightlessness.
An urban landmark that divides opinion
True to its name, the installation of the sculpture has left no passerby—nor social media—unmoved, sparking an intense aesthetic debate online. While critics and advocates of contemporary art praise the piece’s boldness for breaking with the static nature of the traditional urban landscape, various neighborhood groups question the suitability of its location in an area frequented by commercial vehicles and lament the loss of the plaza’s understated charm.
Despite the doubts raised by its floating appearance, technicians assure that the support structure is structurally engineered to withstand hundreds of kilos and ensure the safety of pedestrians.