Alchemist

Alchemist is a metallic sculpture made of stainless steel and enamel paint, standing about 16 feet tall and depicting a seated human figure whose body is composed of mathematical symbols and letters. The artwork occupies an open grass area between Massachusetts Avenue and the Stratton Student Center, where visitors can walk around and through its framework freely.

The work was commissioned in 2010 to mark MIT's 150th anniversary and created by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. This sculpture represents a moment when the institution celebrated its scientific legacy through contemporary artistic expression.

The figure embodies the link between numerical language and the human form, embodying the institution's core values. Visitors can observe how mathematical notation and lettering come together to create a recognizable seated silhouette.

The sculpture is accessible at any time since it stands in an open campus area that is always available to visitors. Multiple visits at different times of day reveal the changing light effects that play across the work's surface.

The arrangement of mathematical symbols and letters creates visual patterns that shift as the sun moves across the sky, offering each visitor changing perspectives throughout their visit. These optical effects emerge naturally from how the metal framework interacts with light at different times of day.