I did not know the artist Jaume Plensa except that he is Spanish (Annie if you can manage it you must see his work)!
I took lots of pictures and I'll share them as I recall my sense of the exhibition itself.
The artist used language and words to develop a curtain of poetry of language which visitors were encouraged to read and caress. This reminded me of tibetan prayer wheels where if you turn the wheel the prayer is said. This curtain allowed you to caress the words creating a tinkling sound of whispers.
It was a glorious bright sunny day and the curtain was reflected on the opposite wall. A range of world languages were use.
The exhibition was separated into internal and external exhibits. One room housed a number of gongs which visitors were encouraged to hit with a mallet and listen to and feel the sound being made. Each of the gongs made a different sound in the room and if you stood in front of one after giving it a hefty hit the sound reverbrated in your ribcage - very powerful. The gongs had text written in the centre not readily seen on this picture.
Another of the internal exhibits was a room full of heads and again there were differences in terms of race but also of expression. What were they thinking??????
Moving outside I was struck by two large see through head sculptures which were placed on top of the exhibition centre.
There was something about being able to see through them and take in the landscape of the YSP that made it feel as if they belonged and in a surreal way made me think of Alan Bennett's - 'talking heads' series especially as they had rather a Churchillian look about them.
and I'll finish with a last piece a scuplture of a figure which you could walk inside of and made me feel that I was being hugged and wrapped in words.
This looks and sounds amazing Celia...makes me feel so lazy that I never get around to going to things like this that stimulate wondering and pondering.
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