Carmela

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“Carmela” by Jaume Plensa, 2016
Carrer de Sant Pere Més Alt
Barcelona, March 2017

“Carmela was created from a photo of a Barcelona teenager. Plensa scanned the photo to create a three dimensional image which he then compressed in one axes before casting it in iron. The result is an enigmatic flattened sculpture which, when viewed from the right angle, looks like a large three-dimensional bust. During the inauguration of the exhibition, Plensa said of the figure: ‘Carmela represents a girl from Barcelona, a Mediterranean beauty, a timeless beauty, from both past and future, who perhaps has not yet discovered that she is interested in art.’ The statue was originally meant to be exhibited outside the Palau de la Musica until September 2016 when it was due to be shipped to Grand Rapids (Michigan USA). Thanks to the public’s reaction, Plensa ceded the sculpture, estimated value €700,000, to the city for an initial period of eight years.” (Carmela Sculpture, Barcelona Lowdown)