Behind the Walls (sculpture) facts for kids

Behind the Walls on display at the Museo Nacional de Arte in Mexico City

Behind the Walls is a cool sculpture made in 2018 by a Spanish artist named Jaume Plensa. It's a really big artwork that has traveled to different cities around the world!

What is Behind the Walls?

This amazing sculpture stands super tall, about 24.5 feet high! That's like a two-story building! It shows the head of a teenage girl. Her hands are covering her eyes, which makes you wonder what she's thinking or feeling.

The sculpture is made from two main materials:

• Polyester resin: This is a strong plastic material.
• Marble dust: This is tiny bits of marble stone, which gives the sculpture a special look and feel.

Where Has Behind the Walls Been?

This famous sculpture has been shown in several exciting places:

• First Appearance: Behind the Walls was first shown in May 2019. It was part of the Frieze Sculpture festival in Manhattan, a busy part of New York City. You could see it right in front of the famous Rockefeller Center.
• Mexico City Visit: From October 2019 to February 2020, the sculpture traveled to Mexico City. It was placed outside the Museo Nacional de Arte, which is a big art museum there.
• Current Home: Today, Behind the Walls is outside the University of Michigan Museum of Art. The museum received the sculpture as a special gift from J. Ira and Nicki Harris. It was put in front of the museum in November 2020. It took the place of another artwork called Shang by artist Mark di Suvero.