The University of Barcelona's Medicine Faculty has temporarily installed a giant heart made by the Catalan artist Jaume Plensa, with the building's columns acting as the ribcage.
The objective of this work of art is to raise awareness about cardiovascular illnesses, which are the leading cause of death worldwide.
The work is titled El cor secret (The Secret Heart). The heart measures 13 metres tall and 10 metres wide, and weighs 150 kg. It's made of synthetic materials and painted by hand. It had previously been shown in Germany in 2014 and was supposed to arrive to Plensa's home city sooner, but it was delayed because of covid. Instead, in 2020, Plensa donated one of his famous head sculptures to this same building, to thank medicine professionals and students for their work during the pandemic.
