Plensa, Jaume: The Crown Fountain

The Barcelona artist Jaume Plensa is best-known for his spectacular Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, Chicago. Constructed between 1999 and 2004 with support from the Crown Foundation, this work features water cascading down two monumental towers, as well as video and lighting effects. Alternating images recorded on video by Plensa show the faces of 1,000 Chicagoans from all segments of society. Every 12 minutes these faces transform into gargoyles reminiscent of traditional fountains. Plensa’s Crown Fountain, which swiftly became a popular public attraction, is comprehensively presented in this monograph, along with an extensive chronology of his multi-faceted oeuvre.