Introduction
On September 19, the exhibition “Mirall” by Jaume Plensa opened at La Llotja in Palma. Through this exhibition, the Catalan artist reflects on the dualities of the world: body and soul, matter and spirit, light and darkness, opacity and transparency, past and future… The *Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur* foundation—on whose board of trustees sits Guillermo Dezcallar, a co-founding partner of the law firm Illeslex Abogados—was responsible for coordinating the project, which was organized by the Balearic Government in collaboration with the Palma City Council.
Inside La Llotja, two 7-meter-tall stainless steel sculptures—”Invisible Laura” and “Invisible Rui Rui”—have been installed; they face each other, with their backs turned toward the main entrance. Plensa is one of the most renowned contemporary sculptors in the Spanish art scene, with a significant international profile, and is especially well-known for his interventions in public spaces. The exhibition will be open to the public until February 15 (in October, the opening hours are 10:30–13:30 and 16:00–21:00; from November to February, they are 10:30–13:30 and 16:00–19:00).
During the presentation, the President of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Margalida Prohens, remarked that “the paths of Jaume Plensa and La Llotja were destined to cross,” adding that projects like this one will help “the Balearic Islands achieve the standing we are working toward alongside the Palma City Council—that of becoming a global benchmark for contemporary art and culture.” For his part, Jaume Plensa emphasized that “contemporary art is an extraordinary ally to history. The relationship with a building like La Llotja must be a dialogue—a way of coming together.” Regarding the exhibition’s title, “Mirall” [Mirror], he noted: “For years, I have been obsessed with how we look at the ‘other.’ Another person is always an enigmatic territory, and we often fail to realize that, in looking at the other, we are, in a sense, seeing ourselves.” Also participating in the presentation were the Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, and Walter Smerling, President of the Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur and curator of the exhibition.
This is a project in which Plensa reflects on the dualities of the world: “The ancient tradition of classical Rome had Janus as one of its main Gods. He was a divinity with two faces: one looking at the past and the other at the future. The reflection of our face in the mirror, in the face of everyone else, of lovers and friends, strangers and acquaintances. Men and women sharing their faces in the most generous of our acts. The duality of the body and the shadow, of day and night, of joy and pain… The duality of all our dreams that still wait to be born in the reflection of a mirror.”
This exhibition is part of the Balearic Government’s objective to position the island as a cultural destination and to establish La Llotja as an internationally recognized venue for showcasing exhibitions by the world’s most prominent contemporary artists. The Jaume Plensa exhibition is the third to be hosted by this building—a jewel of Mallorca’s secular Gothic architecture—since last June, following those of the Portuguese artist Pedro Cabrita and the British artist Julian Opie; the latter closed on August 31st and attracted over 200,000 visitors.
Jaume Plensa
Jaume Plensa (Barcelona, 1955) studied at the Llotja School of Arts and Crafts and the Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts. Since his first exhibition in 1980, he has lived and worked in Germany, Belgium, France, and the United States, and he currently resides in Barcelona.
Ha sido profesor en la École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de París y colaborador en el Art Institute of Chicago. Además, ha dado conferencias en numerosas universidades y museos en todo el mundo. Asimismo, ha recibido numerosos premios, incluyendo la Medalla de Caballero de las Artes y las Letras de Francia en 1993; el Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas de Cataluña en 1997; y el Premio Velázquez de las Artes en 2013, entre otros. En 2018 fue nombrado Doctor Honoris Causa por la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona y, en 2024, por la Universidad de Notre Dame en Indiana (EE. UU.).
He has been a professor at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and a collaborator at the Art Institute of Chicago. Furthermore, he has delivered lectures at numerous universities and museums around the world. He has also received many awards, including the French Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1993, the National Award for Visual Arts of Catalonia in 1997, and the Velázquez Prize for the Arts in 2013, among others. In 2018, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and in 2024, by the University of Notre Dame in Indiana (USA).
The Exchange
La Llotja de Palma was built between 1426 and 1447 to serve as the headquarters for the Merchants’ Guild (Colegio de la Mercadería). It stands as the most prominent example of secular Gothic architecture in the Balearic Islands and is one of the most significant of its kind in Europe. Designed by the architect Guillem Sagrera—born in Felanitx (Mallorca) in 1380 and who died in Naples in 1454—the structure was built between the 15th and 16th centuries. Today, it is recognized as one of Mallorca’s most important architectural treasures and an unmissable destination for those who appreciate history, architecture, and art. The building features a rectangular floor plan, and its interior consists of a single space covered by ribbed vaulting, supported by six striking helical columns.
Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur e.V.
Since 1986, the foundation has been dedicated to promoting art and cultural diversity. With extensive international experience and a track record of successful projects—including in Mallorca—its focus lies in developing exhibitions, managing collections, and presenting art in public spaces. Its goal is to promote art and culture as central elements of social discourse and to actively participate in shaping that discourse, in the spirit of Joseph Beuys and his concept of being “co-creators of the collective.” Having ideas is good, but implementing them is even better.