Plensa's 'Carmela' stays

There is that mantra that says that Jaume Plensa, one of the most international local artists, does not have enough presence in Barcelona. Until his great work arrives, the sculptor will keep, for now, the most popular one he has in the Catalan capital, although one, if distracted, can miss it. The Barcelona City Council has reached an agreement with him for Carmela, in front of the Palau de la Música, to stay there for eight more years.

"The Palau de la Música, which is a beauty, is as if it didn't want to look at the street. It lacked a point of connection with the city and Carmela has done it. If they asked me for it, I had to leave it again, it has found its place," said the artist after formalizing the transfer agreement with the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni.

Carmela, one of the many faces that characterize Plensa, was installed in the heart of Ciutat Vella exactly eight years ago, in 2016, and has earned the appreciation of Barcelonans and, above all, of tourists who sometimes stumble upon it almost by accident. "She stays as another neighbor," defended Collboni, who stated that, some time ago, when he lived nearby, he always greeted her on his way to the city hall. "It's a love story that remains valid and I would say it even makes it more vital and brilliant," he remarked.

Plensa, an artist who knows how to translate his universe very well, has thanked the privilege. "The people here very soon felt a flash with this piece and they loved it. This is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you as an artist, that people love your work," he explained. Taking advantage of the occasion, Collboni announced that he will be awarded the Gold Medal for Cultural Merit of the City in recognition of his career as "one of the most universal Barcelonans."