Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Catalan artist Jaume Plensa, known for his monumental sculpture, is receiving his first career retrospective in the United States thanks to an exhibition at Michigan’s Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Jaume Plensa: A New Humanism sprawls through the botanical garden's indoor exhibition spaces and outdoor garden, putting on full display the range of the artist's work.
Working in wood, resin, mixed media, light, and collage, Plensa’s pieces grapple with themes of human existence, collective harmony, and the value of human rights. “Jaume Plensa’s art speaks to the poetry and potential of the human condition,” says Suzanne Ramljak, Vice President of Collections & Curatorial Museums at Frederik Meijer Gardens. “His humanist vision reminds us of the endless capacity to transform our experience, both personal and social, through the power of imagination.”
The retrospective comes 19 years after Plensa’s sculpture I, you, he, or she… entered the museum’s collection and four years after his stunning installation in the Welcome Center’s Garden Pavilion. In this way, the show only confirms the close relationship between Plensa and the sculpture garden.
Featuring major installations from the past several decades of his career, A New Humanism is the perfect way to understand Plensa's artistic vision. Through his work, he allows us to contemplate contemporary humanist values and the discovery that we can respect our collective differences while still seeing the potential in our unity.
Jaume Plensa: A New Humanism runs through March 15, 2026, and is visible both in the Meijer Gardens’ indoor sculpture galleries and on the Stuart and Barbara Padnos Rooftop Sculpture Garden.
Jaume Plensa’s first retrospective in the United States is taking place at Michigan’s Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Sitting Tattoo XI (2008). (Photo: Gasull Fotografia © Plensa Studio Barcelona)
The show takes place both indoors and out, covering decades of Plensa’s incredible artistic output.
Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Desire (2002). (Photo: Lluís Bover © Plensa Studio Barcelona)
Hortense in Slumberland (2011). (Photo: Roberto Ruiz © Plensa Studio Barcelona)
