Spanish Artist Jaume Plensa's Multilingual Sculpture 'Bengaluru's Soul' Unveiled at City Airport

A major new public artwork titled Bengaluru’s Soul by celebrated Spanish artist Jaume Plensa has been unveiled at Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2, adding a global cultural landmark to the city’s aviation hub. The sculpture was formally inaugurated on April 25 in the presence of Spanish Ambassador Juan Antonio March Pujol and other dignitaries.

Created from painted steel, the installation takes the form of a human figure made up of hundreds of interconnected letters and symbols. The sculpture incorporates scripts and characters from multiple languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Armenian, and Japanese, alongside mathematical symbols. The multilingual design reflects Bengaluru’s identity as an international city shaped by diversity, innovation, and movement.

Plensa, an artist from Barcelona known for large-scale public works around the world, often explores themes of identity, communication, and human connection. His best-known projects include installations in major global cities, where text and the human form frequently feature as central elements. Bengaluru’s Soul continues that artistic approach while adapting it to the cultural context of India’s technology capital.

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One of the unique aspects of the sculpture is that travellers can walk inside the structure, allowing direct interaction with the artwork. Airport visitors are expected to use the space for photographs and reflection, making it both a visual attraction and an immersive public experience. Such interactive art has become increasingly popular in modern airports seeking to create memorable passenger environments.

The installation further strengthens Terminal 2’s reputation for combining travel infrastructure with architecture, greenery, and cultural design. Often described as a “terminal in a garden,” the Bengaluru airport expansion has sought to blend functionality with art and sustainability. The addition of Bengaluru’s Soul reinforces the city’s image as a place where technology, creativity, and global culture intersect.

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