The Iconic Public Sculpture Art of Jaume Plensa | Brilliant Ideas Ep. 11

Born in 1955 in Barcelona, Plensa is a renowned sculptor and public artist. Monumental public works, such as the sculpture of a young woman’s head or life-size humanoid figures, have become emblematic of the artist and found in cities as diverse as Rio de Janeiro, Calgary, New York and Tokyo. Although at first glance, the installations appear as mere iterations of traditional sculpture, the artist’s intention lies beyond the material representation. Plensa is a beloved figure in all of the cities his work is located, not least because his art is inspirational to locals. It is because the artist creates physical forms that give rise to new, non-physical spaces and opportunity. He says, “art in public spaces must convey something from out of the city.”