Jaume Plensa’s Iconic Art Transforms Perceptions of the World

February 26, 2012  |   Feature,   News
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Mirror, a site-specific installation by renowned international artist Jaume Plensa, was recently installed on the campus of Rice University, Houston, Texas.

“Mirror” features two 10-foot-tall human figures positioned in conversation with one another. Up close, their physical forms are an intermingling of white coated marine steel letters from many alphabets. Viewers are provided with an entry point to each figure, where they can physically walk inside the sculpture.
“You go in and suddenly the world is on the other side,” Plensa said about his work. “You look through this form of expression that is calligraphy. I suppose it’s a bit of a romantic attitude. In a sense, you see the world through art, through a motion, through the expression of an idea.”

Plensa was inspired to create “Mirror” after visiting the campus and observing students convening under the oak trees, in similar spaces to where his installation will now live.

Described by the New York Times as “one of the world’s most celebrated public artists,” Plensa is known for his monumental sculptures that call home cities such as, Chicago, New York, London, Dubai and Vancouver, among others.

Check out Plensa’s 27-foot height “Nomade” installed in the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines.