Jaume Plensa Does the Nasher

A few of us have gathered at the Nasher this rainy afternoon to hear a talk given by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, whose “Genus and Species” opens January 30. The Nasher is promoting it as their first exhibition by a living artist. Funny story: a Nasher employee who shall remain unnamed was ferrying Plensa around in his/her car earlier and accidentally ran a red light. Plensa made a joke about how it was almost the Nasher’s first exhibition of an artist killed by the museum.

Update: I’m sure Peter will be along in a minute to share some details about the brief speech that Plensa gave and about his art. But here’s my favorite part: Plensa concluded by saying, “I’d love for you to touch my art.” He said the same thing to a group at the museum last night. The notion is giving the guards at the Nasher fits. Because, as you know, you ain’t supposed to touch anything else there. They are afraid that people won’t know where to draw the line. One minute you’re caressing an alabaster Plensa head (first picture); the next minute, you’re engaged in some out-of-bounds frottage with one of those people high atop Borofsky’s Walking to the Sky. So bottom line (no sexual pun intended), if you get handsy with either Twin 1 or Twin II (second picture), and if a guard tells you stop, be sure to tell em that Plensa said it was copacetic.