UTOPIA, 2021
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids
Creating Utopia – Click to watch
Defining the perimeter of a vast interior space in the institution’s new Welcome Center designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, Plensa’s Utopia is comprised of four 20-by-90-foot carved marble portraits depicting the faces of Marianna, Julia, Laura, and Wilsis. Each of Utopia’s floor-to-ceiling portraits utilizes the human form to symbolize the capacity for a shared humanity. The monumental installation is crafted from white marble, a material chosen by the artist both to harmonize with the architecture and for its nuanced reactions to light and shadow. In the words of the artist, “Utopia is our human landscape, a space to embrace humanity and our collective dreams.”
