New sculptures dedicated in Millennium Park

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Four giant sculptures were dedicated Tuesday as part of Millennium Park's 10th anniversary celebration.

The first of the four new sculptures stands at the corner of Michigan and Madison. Her name is Ewilda, and she is almost 40 feet tall, made of marble dust and resin. The fiberglass beauty is the biggest star in the "1004 Portraits" exhibit and is the creation of Spanish sculptor and artist Jaume Plensa, who also created Millennium Park's famous Crown Fountain.

"Ewilda is a young girl from the Dominican Republic that moved from her town to Barcelona," said Plensa.

Plensa says his Ewilda stood last year in the surf just off Rio De Janeiro, but he brought her here when Millennium Park needed something new and big.

"She is probably part of the dreams of everybody. I mean that moment when our beauty, or possible beauty is completely clean and nave," he said.

Brought here from Barcelona as well are three 20-foot tall cast iron young women named Paula, Laura and Inez. You have to walk around them to appreciate their artistry. They look like full heads, but they're not. They're squashed.

"I'm trying to create a visual effect with heads and in that case it's like that," Plensa said.

Comprised of Ewilda, Paula, Laura and Inez - four sculptures - so why is it called "1004 Portraits"?

"Because when I created Crown Fountain I filmed 1,000 people living in town," he explained, "And for this celebration I got four more portraits."

Plensa also has plans to add 1,000 more portraits to Crown Fountain.