About the Jaume Plensa exhibition at Galeria Leme
From Me to Us marks the second solo exhibition by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa at Galeria Leme. Plensa has maintained a long-standing relationship with Brazil, having first visited the country in his youth, when he developed a deep connection with the sea and the local spirituality. Since then, he has created public installations in Botafogo Bay, in Rio de Janeiro, and in Porto Alegre during the 13th Mercosul Biennial. In 2022, the artist also held his first institutional solo exhibition in Brazil, at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum in Curitiba.
The exhibition explores our connection with communal spaces and personal introspection, expanding from the solitude of the “me” to the collective “us.” Upon entering the exhibition, visitors encounter Blue Hermit, a bronze sculpture depicting a man crouched on a rock. The figure embodies isolation, enclosed within the notion of self. Plensa describes this work as “an individual in the midst of a flow of communities, yet without any contact.” The artist frequently works with alphabets, treating them as a visual score—like musical notes that, instead of sounds, form words and phrases, building bridges between silence and others.
Sculptures by Jaume Plensa and the dialogue with silence
In contrast, Rui Rui’s Words, part of Plensa’s recent exploration of suspended sculptures, features the face of a young woman with her finger pressed to her lips, a symbol of silence and contemplation. This gesture invites the viewer to pause and reflect. Within the gallery space, the two sculptures establish a silent dialogue—one immersed in silence, the other calling for it. The gallery’s concrete walls evoke an atmosphere of protection and enclosure, while Plensa’s works suggest different ways of relating to this almost cathedral-like setting, welcoming and inviting contemplation.
Jaume Plensa is internationally recognized for his large-scale sculptures and public installations, which explore language, identity, and human connection through diverse materials. His works have been exhibited in Spain, France, Japan, England, Korea, Germany, Canada, the United States, Brazil, and other countries. Positioned at the entrance of the gallery, Self Portrait V establishes a connection between the interior space of the exhibition and the outside world. In this stainless steel sculpture, a human figure is enveloped by a sphere of letters, creating a metaphysical universe that represents the cosmos and the multiplicity of worlds and words that can emerge from a single sequence of letters.
Back in 2012, Jaume Plensa presented his first solo exhibition in Brazil at Galeria Leme.
👉Click here to learn more about the 2012 exhibition.
