Plensa exhibition in Ceret contemplates relationship between body, soul and language

Barcelona (ACN) – The Barcelona sculptor Jaume Plensa, one of the most internationally renowned Catalan artists, will have an exhibition from 27 June until 15 November at the Ceret Modern Art Museum in Northern Catalonia. The display, 'The Silence of Thought' ('El silence del pensament'), is a selection of works that speak "of the body, the soul and the word", and one that will serve as an overview of his work. The sculptor is particularly famous for his sculptures of giant heads and people sitting in the foetal position. Plensa encourages visitors to "enjoy and have fun" because, thanks to the "intimate spaces and cosy human scale" of the museum and the use of light and shadows, they can fully understand his sculptural universe. The exhibition consists of three creative installations, each with their own room, and five monumental faces of alabaster and bronze. 

Jaume Plensa, who on Friday accompanied reporters on a tour of the exhibition, remarked that he "very much enjoyed" preparing it, which included looking for works which could best "tie" together all of his artistic production based on the ideas of the body and word. The Barcelonan artist believes that the result was very satisfactory and he defined the display as "simple yet intense". Plensa also said that the Ceret Modern Art Museum has "intimate and cosy" spaces that incorporate his "human scale" work well.

The sculptor also explained that, as in the rest of the exhibitions he has prepared, he is always looking for a space for silence and meditation where people "can find themselves". "This exhibition invites visitors to retreat from a world full of noise and saturated with messages so they can discover and enjoy the art", he said.

One of the families of his work shown in the Ceret museum is that of his giant portraits. Some portraits, Plensa explained, are of regular people he has met, and they have "the grandiosity of anonymity" because each one "is a divinity in itself".

Installations 

'Silhouettes' (2011-2012) is comprised of 16 steel silhouettes that float in space, suspended from the ceiling by banners with sayings and featuring verses from poems of Plensa's choice. One of them reads: "One thought fills immensity", a verse from William Blake that the artist cites as a source of inspiration for his work. The life-sized silhouettes are blended into those of the people in the room, who circulate freely among the figures and sentences.

'Talking continents' (2013) constitutes 19 elements formed by letters from different alphabets, welded together to form transparent boulders on which the human silhouettes sit. The fixtures are meant to represent a silent dialogue between planets, universes and the men who frequent them without ever coming in contact with each other. The poetic imagination of these floating islands is that all humanity, regardless of language, is somehow connected. Here, visitors can again move between the pieces.

The last of the creations at the gallery is a monumental installation, 'Air, Water, Void' (2014): a sculpture of three sitting men – made of colour-changing luminous resin – covering their mouths with their hands who seem to be having a mute conversation. The calm that comes from this encounter is an invitation to perceive the silent language and its mysteries.

The exhibition also includes five monumental faces made from 2014 to 2015 of either basalt or bronze. Inspired by the faces of real people that have attracted Plensa's attention for their beauty or their personality, like Lou or Sanaa, the artist strives for universality by depicting them in their most pure and simple expressions. Their closed eyes invite dreams and meditation. The density of their presence fills the other, transparent and aerial installations, encouraging visitors to immerse themselves in a deep sleep.