Prague has its mind-bending kinetic sculpture of Franz Kafka, Chicago and Madrid each had their weird giant head statue moments, and now Toronto also has its own optical illusion art piece in the form of a human noggin.
The confounding new installation outside of the Richmond-Adelaide Centre has been four years in the making from Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, who has done similar works of women's heads made of white marble dust and polyester resin, solid marble or other materials in public squares and parks around the world.
His work has appeared in cities in Sweden, Germany, Spain, France, Japan, and more, and he was also behind the aforementioned Madrid and Chicago pieces.
Unlike many of Plensa's other works, the Toronto fixture was not given a human name, but is instead titled "Dreaming."
In the style that the artist is known for, the proportions of the piece are uncanny, testing the viewer's eyes' and mind's perception and inspiring intrigue.
Its look and feel changes depending on where you are standing: from some angles, the head simply appears giant and somehow soft. From others, it throws you off, appearing weirdly tall and long, even angular.
I’ve driven past it a number of times and it’s great and disorienting! Love it
— 🏕🏡🏘Sean Galbraith🏗🏢🏭 (@PlannerSean) September 14, 2020
It's definitely a head-turner, from its striking stark white colour and imposing size to the visual tricks it plays on passersby.
Plensa has said that this style of art of his is "conceived of as a work to inspire personal, intimate, reflection in the hectic rhythm of the public space."
@OxfordPropGroup love the public art at Richmond Adelaide Centre! Well done. pic.twitter.com/uK09Ab7lZr
— Clarke Struthers (@ClarkeStruthers) September 10, 2020
The piece, commissioned by Oxford Properties to ostensibly inject something new and unexpected into retail centre that sits on a bustling corner in the financial district, seems to be getting rave reviews so far, with people loving its flummoxing beauty.
by Becky Robertson via blogTO
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