Discover Jaume Plensa Through 6 Iconic Pieces of Art
Where are Jaume Plensa’s most iconic works of art?
He is one of our most internationally renowned artists and his sculptures are admired in cities all over the world. There are many things we can learn about the artist through the concepts behind his monumental creations.
Who is Jaume Plensa?
He defines himself as a sculptor, but he has always worked in multiple disciplines (from engraving to video). He was born in Barcelona in 1955 and grew up in an environment where his influences were books and music, which has undoubtedly marked his creative process. His work includes literary and philosophical references, sometimes incorporated through the written word.
Plensa has worked with concrete, wood and marble, but also with water, light and sound. The common trait that runs through all his sculptural pieces is their capacity to invite interaction with the spectator, crossing all cultural barriers.
La Forêt blanche. Galerie Lelong & Co., Paris, France, 2016
He is known worldwide for his monumental sculptures, pieces that blend into the landscape and redefine our relationship with the environment.
Amidst the chaos of urban life, Plensa’s creations in public spaces offer an opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle and listen to our inner voice.
Where are his most powerful sculptures?
1. A breath-taking perspective in Canada
Wonderland, 2012, Calgary, Alberta, Canadá. Wikicommons.
From inside Wonderland, installed in front of Calgary’s largest skyscraper (The Bow), visitors can admire the city skyline from an unexpected point of view: through the sculpture’s sinuous lines. This large stainless-steel head can be seen even at night, lit up to enhance its enigmatic beauty.
2. Chicago’s most popular fountain
Crown fountain, 2004. Millenium Park, Chicago, USA.
Located in Chicago’s Millennium Park, the Crown Fountain is an interactive piece that combines an extensive range of concepts and materials. It consists of two spectacular 16-metre towers with video screens that incorporates elements including glass, granite, wood, light and water.
3. Visual poetry in the heart of Madrid
Julia, 2018. Plaza de Colón, Madrid, España.
Julia is a 12-metre sculpture that, from Plaza de Colón, invites spectators to take a moment to meditate in the heart of an urban environment. It features the peaceful face of a girl, sculpted in polyester resin and white marble powder. Its stay in the city has been extended by popular demand.
4. Love in the Netherlands
Love, 2017. Leeuwarden, Friesland, Países Bajos.
Two 7-metre heads of a boy and a girl face each other with their eyes closed next to Leeuwarden Central Station. Love offers a dreamlike vision, shrouded in fog and crafted in polyester resin, white marble powder and water.
5. 7-tonne portraits in Valencia
Exposición temporal en la Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, 2019, Valencia. España.
This is an example of the itinerant character of Plensa’s art. Made of cast iron, these thinking heads amazed visitors to the City of Arts and Sciences, and today continue their journey to other spots around the Valencian Community.
6. The soul of words on the French coast
Le Nomade , Antibes, France
The city of Antibes is home to the monumental Nomade, located in front of the Bastion Saint Jaume, a former fortress built to protect the coastline. The 8-metre-high sculpture forged in steel represents our inner space, defined by written language. In the words of the artist himself, “Words are the bricks with which thought is built”.
Plensa at ARTIKA
Our collaboration with Jaume Plensa has resulted in two unique editions. The first was 58, an exclusive sculpture that is already sold out.
The second is Jaume Plensa 61, an art book that gives an intimate glimpse into how his sculptures are created, which the author defines as “the portrait of a creative will”.
