Jaume Plensa, Florida's Soul

LOWER LEVEL

Jaume Plensa

Florida’s Soul is the work of celebrated contemporary artist Jaume Plensa whose projects span the globe, from Chicago and New York City to London, Paris, Dubai, and Tokyo. Born in Catalonia, Spain in 1955, Plensa is a firm believer that art can change the world. To this end, his emblematic installations invite thoughtful introspection, connecting with viewers on a visceral level.
Depicting a man seated on a stone, legs drawn into his chest and seemingly deep in contemplation, Plensa’s near-10-foot-tall statue is based on himself. Formed by interconnected, stainless steel letters of the alphabet, the statue speaks to the universality of the human experience–one which transcends such perceived barriers as culture. By representing letters as biological cells, Plensa illustrates the power of language which births the spectrum of human expression and emotion, connecting us as one great global community.
Known for bridging opposites through his art, Plensa uses the interplay between solid steel letters and the open space between them to juxtapose elements of the human heart: the enlightened and the obtuse, the transparent and the impermeable, fluid and dense. Paradoxes that make up the poetry of mankind.