Dreaming (sculpture)

Dreaming is an 8.5 metre tall, 2.5-tonne sculpture by Jaume Plensa, colloquially known as "Lucia", installed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Crafted in 2017 and installed in 2020, this artwork is part of Plensa’s series of large-scale sculptures featuring serene and contemplative faces.

“Dreaming” is situated in the courtyard of EY Tower overlooking Adelaide Street West in Toronto.

The Sculpture
Crafted from white marble dust and Polyester resin, it stands 850cm tall. It's 310cm wide and 109cm deep.

Like many of Jaume Plensa’s sculptures, Dreaming creates an intriguing optical illusion that gives the impression of Lucia's eyes following you as you move past it. This effect is achieved through several artistic techniques:

1.	Elongated Form: The sculpture’s face is elongated and stylized in such a way that its features appear to shift as you change your viewing angle. The vertical stretching of the facial features makes it look different from various perspectives.

2.	Perspective and Depth: Plensa’s manipulation of perspective and depth creates an optical illusion. The closed eyes and serene expression of the sculpture are crafted to give the illusion of movement and engagement with the viewer, despite being a static object.

3.	Symmetry and Alignment: The symmetry of the face and the precise alignment of its features contribute to the illusion. As you walk past, the symmetry interacts with the changing perspective, making it seem like the face is subtly shifting to follow your movements.

4.	Material and Light: The white marble used for “Dreaming” enhances the optical illusion by reflecting light in various ways. The play of light and shadow on the surface of the sculpture can change as you move, adding to the sense that the sculpture is following you.