Jaume Plensa Honors Poet Joan Margarit with New Sculpture-Book Utopía?
Sculptor Jaume Plensa and publisher La Cama Sol debuted “Utopía?”, a limited-edition artist’s book and handcrafted wooden case honoring the late poet Joan Margarit, during a ceremony at the National Library of Spain in Madrid.
A Collaboration Rooted in Neighborhood and Memory
Miraculously, they were neighbors on the outskirts of Barcelona. That is how 71-year-old sculptor Jaume Plensa described his relationship with the poet Joan Margarit, who passed away in February 2021. The tribute brought together the artist, the poet’s family, and cultural leaders inside the National Library of Spain. This marked Plensa’s first time entering the institution, a milestone he joked about before introducing his sculpture-book, titled “Utopía?”, dedicated to the author of collections like Estación de Francia (1999), Joana (2002), Cálculo de estructuras (2005), and Casa de misericordia (2007).
The piece consists of an aged oak wood case measuring 290 by 200 by 180 millimeters. On the lid sits a small stainless steel figure of a person seated with arms wrapped around their legs, gazing out at reality. Inside the box rest 25 poems by Margarit printed on handmade paper. The family—including the poet’s widow, Mariona Ribalta, along with his children and grandchildren—selected the texts chronologically.
Inside the Edition: Craftsmanship Meets Industrial Steel
The art object is a numbered edition limited to just 77 copies. It offers an intimate contrast for an artist widely known for monumental public sculptures installed in cities across the globe. The initiative began with the publishing house La Cama Sol, which specializes in art objects featuring a dual authorship of an artist and a writer. Javier Santiso, founder of the editorial house and a columnist for EL PAÍS, explained how the project developed after receiving a call from Plensa expressing a desire to create a poetry book. Santiso proposed honoring Margarit, whom he termed a colossal poet.
Plensa emphasized the physical nature of the work during the presentation, noting that the object is not just a book, but a shared dream crafted from wood, which he called a living material, contrasted against the stainless steel figure produced through technology. The title features a question mark because of turbulent modern times, keeping alive the romantic idea of a better world. These reflections took place just meters away from Plensa’s 2018 public sculpture Julia, a 12-meter-tall head made of marble powder and polyester resin located in Madrid’s Plaza de Colón.
Preserving a Legacy of Moral Resistance
Mònica Margarit, the poet’s daughter, noted that the piece contains deeply personal poetry chosen by the family, ensuring their own presence is woven into the chronological selection. Óscar Arroyo, director of the National Library, highlighted that the institution has housed the Catalan poet’s literary legacy for the past 15 years. The tribute concluded with a musical performance by Margarit’s son, Carles, a saxophonist.
Santiso noted that the publishing house, alongside the Instituto Cervantes and the poet’s family, launched the International Joan Margarit Poetry Prize in 2023 to honor established poets worldwide. Jaume Plensa, recipient of the National plastic Arts Prize in 2012 and the Velázquez Plastic Arts Prize in 2013, works across diverse materials including stone, glass, resin, wood, alabaster, light, and water. Joan Margarit, born in Sanaüja, Lleida, in 1938 and awarded the Cervantes Prize in 2019 for a bilingual body of work in Catalan and Castilian Spanish, viewed poetry not as a trade, but as a form of moral resistance and a shelter against the elements.