Transparència

Transparència is a large mural by Andorran artist Samantha Bosque on the rear façade of the Andorra la Vella parish administration building. Completed in 2016, the work covers roughly 400 square metres and uses trompe-l’œil painting to depict the view that lies immediately behind the wall: Plaça Príncep Benlloch. From the nearby public space, the façade appears to open into the square beyond, creating a visual passage through a solid building surface. The mural’s name means “Transparency,” and the illusion gives the title a literal and civic dimension.

The mural was commissioned as a public-art intervention by the Comú d’Andorra la Vella during the parish’s year as Ibero-American Capital of Culture. The rear wall had been visually plain, and the commission used it as a large canvas to make the surrounding urban environment more inviting. Bosque worked on the painting over approximately two months. Municipal sources describe the image as a reflection of the square directly behind the façade; the apparent opening is not a real window or passage. Visitors should remain aware of the actual street layout and use marked public routes rather than attempting to approach the scene as if it were a doorway.

The illusion works through perspective. The painted image repeats the architectural view of Plaça Príncep Benlloch so that the wall seems to reveal what is on its other side. The effect depends on the relationship between the façade, the viewing angle and the real square. As you move along the pavement, the painting remains a flat surface, but the imagined depth shifts with your position. It is a work intended for the street: the viewer sees it while walking through the centre rather than from an indoor gallery or a designated viewing platform.

Bosque’s broader practice includes painting, illustration and murals in Andorra. Her public projects often use the existing architecture as part of the composition, and Transparència is an especially large example of that approach. The artist’s own exhibition record lists the mural as a 2016 façade project in Andorra la Vella. Municipal material explains both the visual trompe-l’œil and the place represented behind the wall. Together, these sources make it possible to identify the work confidently and distinguish it from other murals by Bosque in the parish.

One of those other works is La Fira del Bestiar, painted later on a building along Carrer Doctor Nequi. It commemorates the livestock fair historically held in that area and uses archival imagery, including a woman and scenes of the fair. That mural has a separate location, subject and history. Transparència is the work on the rear of the Comú and looks onto Plaça Príncep Benlloch. The distinction matters for visitors following the city’s mural route, since both works are often mentioned together in tourism materials.

The site lies close to Rambla Molines, Plaça Príncep Benlloch and Sant Esteve church, within walking distance of the old-town streets and Casa de la Vall. It can be viewed from public space without entering the parish offices or the church. There is no ticket, visitor desk or special opening schedule for the mural; it is an exterior façade. Daylight is best for reading the trompe-l’œil and comparing the painted view with the real square. After dark, visibility depends on street lighting and conditions, and no dedicated illumination schedule is published.

Visitors can make a short stop to take in the full scale of the painting, then look toward the real square to notice which features have been reproduced. A photograph from farther back may show more of the composition, but the narrow urban setting and passing pedestrians can limit the ideal viewpoint. Keep to the pavement and do not stand in vehicle lanes for a picture. The building and nearby public services remain in active use, so leave doors and access routes clear. The mural is a public artwork rather than an interactive installation; do not touch or attempt to climb onto the façade.

The title can also be read in relation to the institution behind the wall. At its unveiling, municipal representatives connected the word “transparency” with both the optical effect and the idea of openness in public affairs. This civic association is part of the work’s documented background, but the mural remains foremost a visual intervention that makes a familiar square visible in an unexpected way. Its location at a busy passage also supports the municipality’s stated aim of welcoming visitors into the parish centre.

Transparència fits naturally into a walk through Andorra la Vella’s public art and historic core. After viewing the mural, continue to Plaça Príncep Benlloch and Sant Esteve, then follow the old streets toward Casa de la Vall. It is easy to see the real square that the painting depicts, which is essential to understanding the illusion. The work can be visited briefly, but comparing image and place gives it more depth than a quick photograph alone. Look at the wall, turn toward the square, and let the gap between painted perspective and actual architecture become the central part of the visit.