Gran Teatre del Liceu

A new doctorate for JAUME PLENSA

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Currently, in the art world, one of the names that resonates most is that of the famous artist Jaume Plensa. After a long career full of successes in various artistic fields, Plensa has become an example of a multidisciplinary artist, having left his personal mark in many of the existing artistic disciplines. From his enormous sculptural productions to his symbolic paintings, and even the arduous task of setting the stage for an opera at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, we can see that Jaume Plensa has dared all kinds of artistic adventures that have made him the international artist that we all know.

His artistic narrative

His work made an impact on the other side of the pond thanks to his interactive video sculpture «Crown Fountain», located in Chicago’s Millennium Park. This production managed to catapult his international fame, a clear example being the large number of Plensa‘s works housed in institutions and countries around the world such as «Endless» at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art (USA), «Wonderland» in Calgary (Canada) or «Nomade» in Antibes (France). His sculptures and public art installations, for which he is mostly known, always invite to silent contemplation, to connect with spirituality, with the body and with the collective memory. His pieces incite deep reflection and establish a necessary dialogue between the individual and his critical spirit, in order to make visible social issues such as the violation of human rights, oppression, inequalities or injustices.

To convey all this narrative based on awareness, a common point that connects all his projects is the monumentality that surrounds all his works. Not only when talking about their dimensions, but rather when trying to understand the reason for this grandeur that makes us feel part of the social struggle. His faces with closed eyes, his sculptures of pensive bodies or his installations composed with letters of various alphabets, are the proof of a humanity that must activate the five senses, meditate on the context that surrounds it and dissolve borders to unite in the same language: that of harmony and peace.

Prizes and awards

For all these reasons, it is not strange to think that Jaume Plensa has been awarded on several occasions, both for his artistic and social work. Here in Spain he has been awarded nothing more and nothing less than the Premi Nacional d’Arts Plàstiques de la Generalitat de Catalunya (1997), the Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas de España (2012) or the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes del Ministerio de Cultura (2021), along with other personalities from the art world such as the actor Javier Bardem or the musical group Amaral. However, in this blog we want to celebrate and congratulate Jaume Plensa on receiving his fourth honorary degree, this time from the University of Notre-Dame (Indiana, USA). Other doctorates Plensa has been awarded by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2005), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2018) and the Universidad Internacional Méndez Pelayo (2022).

From Galeria SENDA we want to give a warm applause to this Catalan artist who has managed to break boundaries and expose an art designed to be shown to the world. So that his works continue to impact the lives of many people and urban scenarios in all countries of the world. So that the narratives of his projects and the impact they have on our society continue to be awarded.

A journey through the imaginary of JAUME PLENSA in the Macbeth opera

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With Jaume Plensa as artistic director, Verdi’s opera Macbeth premieres on February 16 at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.

This was already announced by Richard Wagner when he coined the term “Gesamtkunstwerk”, referring to opera as a total work of art that integrates the six arts: painting, sculpture, music, poetry, dance and architecture.

The Wagnerian ideal seeks a fusion between all the participatory elements of opera, as Jaume Plensa, known for his multifaceted artistic vision, has done. The Catalan artist has taken on the challenge of directing the stage production of the opera Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.

Verdi’s well-known opera premieres this February 16 under the direction of Josep Pons, with a powerful aesthetic and ritual presence of Jaume Plensa. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the artist confesses that “it is one of the most profound and interesting reflections on duality between body and soul, between abstraction and matter“.

Plensa affirms that “it is one of Shakespeare’s most mental plays, because we have all been Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and other characters in the play at one time or another“, which is addressed “to the deepest sense of the human being“. All in all, for Plensa, Macbeth represents a deeply introspective theatrical work that resonates with the universal human experience. He explains that each character in the play is a representation of diverse aspects of the human being, inviting the viewer to explore his or her own psyche through the operatic narrative.

“I wanted to make a completely mental opera, to see in each scene moments that are like us, we have all been characters in the piece at one time or another“. Through the costumes, with most costumes out of his time, working on the choreography with Antonio Ruiz and lighting with Urs Schönebaum, Jaume Plensa aims to bring the viewer a more spiritual vision of the work, capturing in the best possible way the journey through the imaginary characteristic of the sculptor. His goal is to take the viewer on a spiritual journey through the rich imaginary that characterizes his work as a sculptor.

Image of white, black, red and gold colored figurines
Image of white, black, red and silver colored figurines

Macbeth art direction mock-up

The opera has an exquisite cast formed by Luca Salsi, Željko Lučić, Erwin Schrott, Simón Orfila, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Gemma Coma-Alabert, Francesco Pio Galasso, Celso Albelo, Fabian Lara and David Lagares. With special enthusiasm, we will meet again with Sondra Radvanovsky, soprano who plays Lady Macbeth and of whom we remember her visit to ARCO Madrid 2021 on the occasion of the presentation of the poster of the Castell de Peralada Festival.

Photograph of four men and a woman smiling at the camera posing in front of a painting

From left to right, Oriol Aguilà, director of the Festival Castell de Peralada; Joan Matabosch, artistic director of the Teatro Real; Carlos Álvarez, baritone; Sondra Radvanovsky, soprano; and artist Jordi Bernadó, posing with one of his works exhibited at ARCO Madrid 2021.

Image of white, black and red figurines
Photograph of Jaume Plensa seated on a chair with a microphone in hand

Jaume Plensa selected works:

Jaume Plensa – Bartók
Jaume Plensa Tears
Jaume Plensa – SLUMBERLAND III

Jaume Plensa’s doors are installed at the Liceu in Barcelona

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Jaume Plensa‘s stainless steel sculptural doors stand majestically at the entrance to the Gran Teatre del Liceu, marking a new era for this iconic coliseum on Barcelona’s Ramblas. Although their final installation is still in progress, passersby can already glimpse the magnificence of these monumental structures, each weighing half a ton.

On Tuesday, onlookers witnessed how the three imposing trellises designed by the acclaimed Catalan artist, who has closely supervised every stage of this ambitious project, will look. As the September opening date approaches, coinciding with the expected return of activity at the Liceu, these works of art will be temporarily covered with a tarp, further heightening anticipation among citizens and art lovers alike.

Image of the facade of the Liceu's steel doors

Christened with the evocative name of “Constel·lacions“, these doors represent much more than simple architectural elements. They are a tribute to the Liceu itself, to the music that has filled its halls over the years, to the emblematic grilles designed by Gaudí and to the nearby legacy of Miró, whose mosaic adorns the nearby Pla de l’Os.

But beyond their aesthetic value, the doors also have a practical function: to preserve the safety and integrity of the surrounding space. By preventing people from taking refuge in the arcade at night, these works of art play a crucial role in protecting the environment, as Víctor García de Gomar, artistic director of the Liceu, pointed out in a previous statement. “Sometimes we find ourselves in hell. It is necessary to protect this space so as not to be complicit in things that happen here, from people shooting heroin, people who want to sleep, situations like rape and prostitution“.

Plensa‘s art not only beautifies the Liceu, but also serves as a reminder of the diversity and cultural richness that defines Barcelona’s Ramblas. Made with alphabet letters from diverse cultures, these doors are a symbol of inclusion and respect for the plurality that characterizes this emblematic artery of the city.

In the midst of controversy and discussion about the fate of public space, Plensa‘s doors represent a balance between aesthetics and functionality, between artistic expression and practical necessity. With their placement, it is hoped that the Liceu will not only be a place of artistic excellence, but also a safe and welcoming refuge for all who visit it.

Interior image of the doors of the Liceu

Excerpt from El Periódico and La Vanguardia