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Toledo Museum of Art acquires sculpture by Jaume Plensa

The Toledo Museum of Art has acquired Spiegel, a monumental, two-part stainless steel sculpture by the acclaimed Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa. Its acquisition was made possible by a generous local donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

Showcased last year in an exhibition of the artist’s work at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in West Bretton, Wakefield, UK, the work is being installed in the Georgia and David K. Welles Sculpture Garden which surrounds the Museum. Composed of two figures, each measuring just over 12 feet high and lit from within, the sculpture will be located in front of a small ridge near the intersection of Monroe Street and Collingwood Boulevard.

The word spiegel means reflective image or mirror in German. Plensa’s Spiegel features two identical figures mirroring one another. Created in 2010, it is made of white-painted steel latticework consisting of individual letters welded together—making no legible sense—from eight different alphabets. The different international alphabets are used to define and visually unite the two seated individuals that are bound together in a silent exchange.

Plensa was born in 1955 in Barcelona, Spain, and currently has residences in both Paris and Barcelona. His sculptures can be seen in public spaces world-wide, including Spain, France, Japan and Germany. In the United States, his most widely known sculpture is Crown Fountain at Millennium Park in Chicago. His works regularly are shown in galleries and museums across Europe, the United States and Japan. His work was most recently seen in the 2012 International Contemporary Art Fair in Paris.

The Museum is located at 2445 Monroe Street at Scottwood Avenue, just west of the downtown business district and one block off I-75 with exit designations posted. For general information, visitors can call 419-255-8000 or 800-644-6862, or visit toledomuseum.org