A photo of a university building front entrance with an inflatable sculpture of a realistic human heart wedged in behind its colonnade. People stand in the foreground.

Photos courtesy of University of Barcelona, shared with permission

Every year on September 29, World Heart Day raises awareness of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death around the globe. Events range from performances and walks that route courses in the shape of a heart to major art installations, like Jaume Plensa’s enormous inflatable artwork at the University of Barcelona.

Wedged behind the rib-like colonnade of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences building, the 13-meter-tall “The Secret Heart” depicts anatomically correct veins, valves, and ventricles. The work was originally commissioned in 2014 for display in Augsburg, Germany, where it was accompanied by a voice clock recording of local residents ticking off the hours, minutes, and seconds.

While The Secret Heart was on view in Barcelona for only a few days, you can explore more of Plensa’s large-scale installations on his website.

 

A photo of a university building front entrance with an inflatable sculpture of a realistic human heart wedged in behind its colonnade.

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Colonnade of a Barcelona University Building Embodies a 13-Meter-Tall Heart by Jaume Plensa appeared first on Colossal.

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