The Barcelona sculptor projects the hands of a Blessed Christ in front of the main entrance: «It is an invitation to enter, they do not reject or choose, they unite us in their spirituality. When opened, the sculpted hand expands and becomes the Christ of generous love protecting and embracing all humanity»
‘La Puerta del Alma’ is the project commissioned by the prestigious artist Jaume Plensa (Barcelona, 1955), known for his impressive sculptures and installations in public spaces, for the recently restored Baroque facade of the Basilica of Vera Cruz in Caravaca. A project commissioned by the Brotherhood of Vera Cruz que Plensa, winner of the Velázquez Prize in 2013 and the National Prize for Visual Arts in 2012, was unveiled this Monday at a ceremony in the old church of the Compañía de la Ciudad Santa.
Following his recent tribute to the Liceu, to music, to Gaudí’s balustrades and to Miró’s constellations at the new doors of the Gran Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona, on the occasion of its 175th birthday, Plensa has spent the past year working on the project for Caravaca de la Cruz, and in fact he visited the city in December 2021 to get to know the place and take his soul with him.
What Plensa proposes for the Basilica of Vera Cruz when proposing the new door, the main entrance to the building designed by the Carmelite architect Fray Alberto de la Madre de Dios, are the hands of a blessed Christ. «I wanted to complete the image of Christ in connection with the cross, with his other representation as Salvatori Mundi, Pantocrator, the Blessing Christ. This dialogue between the cross (Christ’s sacrifice) and the image of his right hand blessing (Cristo Maiestatico) creates the perfect duality in the full representation of Christ: sacrifice and love”, the artist collects in his project. “The attitude of the hand of blessing is rooted in the oldest iconographic tradition of Christ: the Master who leads us. The Father who loves us. El Salvador turned into the door of our soul,” explains Plensa about the philosophy and concept.
The Plensa project is based on this idea, that the new doors for the Basilica of Vera Cruz in Caravaca “are an invitation to enter, they refuse or do not choose, they unite us in their spirituality. When opened, the sculpted hand expands and becomes the Christ of generous love protecting and embracing all humanity. Let us not forget the words of John: ‘I am the door: enter into me and you will be saved’».
The art historian and gallery owner Nacho Ruiz (T20 Proyectos) is convinced that this door of Jaume Plensa, his first work in the Murcia region, will be “a sculptural landmark to be visited, to be known and to open the door of this region.” According to Ruiz, Plensa is “one of the great artists in the world, with an ambition equal to its universal greatness” and he is convinced that this door is “the greatest tribute we can pay to Vera Cruz”.
The artist himself took part in the public act in Caravaca, along with his older brother, Luis Melgarejo, and the Rector of the Basilica, Emilio Sánchez. Currently, the main entrance to the temple is covered with an impersonal and irrelevant metal sheet, which has been repainted on several occasions, repairing the damage over time.
The Vera Cruz Brotherhood will have to speak out on the project, as well as the issue of its financing. In this way, Caravaca joins an extensive list of cities around the world that boast a piece of Plensa in their territory, possibly the Spanish artist with the largest international projection at the moment.
The latest work that has given Plensa international projection is the gigantic sculpture of a girl in New Jersey, on the banks of the Hudson River, opposite New York, a 24-meter high work called ‘El alma del agua’, which depicts the face of a young woman with her finger to her lips.
When he won the National Prize for Plastic Arts in 2012, the Ministry of Culture appreciated the Barcelona artist for his impeccable career in the recovery of materials, his sculptures in cast iron and the integration of light, texts in relief, etc. He also has worked with synthetic resin, fused glass, alabaster, stainless steel, marble, plastic, light, video and sound. In addition, he has a lot of work on paper and graphic work and he has participated in theater and opera projects with the design of the set and the costumes.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
