The finished product, which measures 1,400 square meters, has been christened by its creator, Miquel BarcelĂł, as a "cavesea." The sea represents "past, the origin of the species, the promise of a new future: emigration, travel," according to the painter. And the cave is a symbol of agora, the name given to places of public assembly in ancient Greece, and also represents "the only possible future: dialogue and human rights."

The work by Miquel BarcelĂł has caused something of a political storm in Spain.DPA