546

Responding to an Image

Jaume Plensa is a sculptor and artist from Spain. His installation 29 Palms, shown above, is a 164-foot curtain composed of steel-cut letters comprising his favorite poems. The letters are designed to cast fluid shadows across the wall and floor. In the photo, a visitor touches the letters to make them “sing,” as Plensa encourages. Reflect on this tactile, three-dimensional, multimedia presentation of letters, which we often encounter in static settings, like books and screens. What does Plensa’s installation seem to be saying about the role of words in our world, and its relationship to language?