If we apply synonyms such as doubt, surprise, discovery, and knowledge to the word wonder, we will grasp the true meaning of the title and the book. In today’s terminology, we would say that the Book of Wonders is an initiatory book where, through his journey, its protagonist, Fèlix, discovers the world and earthly life, knowledge that will later be transmitted by others as a confirmation and defense of Christian values and faith in the Middle Ages.

Àlex Broch, historian and literary critic

Llull’s book and the Catalan mural paintings from the 11th-13th centuries speak to us of the same thing and the same era: the Middle Ages, a foundational period for today’s society. Jaume Plensa’s alphabetic case reminds us that it is from this present that we read, view, and interpret our past.

Ramon Llull (Palma 1232/33-1315/1316)
Philosopher, mystic, novelist, poet, and missionary, Llull is the founder of Catalan philosophical and literary prose, and also the first to address philosophical themes in a non-Latin language in the Middle Ages. A man of extensive production – 265 works – he wrote in Catalan, Latin, and Arabic. The expressive richness, descriptive naturalness, and syntactic accuracy in his use of Catalan grant him this foundational status for the written Catalan language.

Jaume Plensa (Barcelona, 1955)
Jaume Plensa presented his first solo exhibition in 1980 and has since achieved significant international recognition. Among the numerous awards and accolades he has received are the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture, the National Award for Plastic Arts from the Generalitat de Catalunya, and an honorary doctorate from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Plensa has exhibited in major museums and galleries worldwide, including, among others, the Fundació Miró in Barcelona, the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris, the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, and also in New York, Chicago, and Tokyo.

Sculpture in public spaces is an equally important aspect of his work, with numerous installations in Europe, North America, and Asia. One of his most notable works is Crown Fountain (2004) in Millennium Park, Chicago, probably one of the most successful public art projects of the last decade. Also noteworthy are Breathing (2005) for the BBC building in London, and Dream (2009) in St. Helens, Liverpool, among many others.

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