How about a visual puzzle standing tall against the Madrid sky? This is Escultura Totémica II. It is more than just metal and form. It embodies artistic vision and urban renewal.
Escultura Totémica II graces a key circular plaza. This plaza is within the Parque Lineal de Palomeras. It complements a large pond called Lago Palomeras Sur-Este.
Let’s delve into the story behind this striking piece. The year was 1987. Fernando González Gortázar created Escultura Totémica II. He was a Mexican architect, urban planner, and sculptor. He specialized in urban sculpture. The Instituto de la Vivienda de Madrid commissioned the work. This was part of a project to remodel Palomeras. Specifically, it targeted the Parque Lineal Palomeras Sur-Este.
Manuel Paredes Grosso designed the park. Leandro Silva Delgado contributed as a landscaper. Arturo Soto Cuesta and José Luis Orgaz served as engineers. They aimed to create a green barrier. This barrier would separate the neighborhood from the M-40 highway. The project spanned from 1982 to 1988.
Escultura Totémica II stands as a visual landmark. It resembles ancient totems. This metal sculpture shares similarities with another piece. Both are located elsewhere in the same park. Its design is abstract and geometric. It features vertical and oblique prisms. These prisms join to form a tripartite composition. The composition is regularly broken. Together, they create a kind of Greek fret or border. The artist also created similar works in Mexico during the 1980s. You can find his signature on the lower part. It is marked with the anagram “gf /1987.”
Take a closer look at Escultura Totémica II. Notice its metallic form. It visually weaves together twelve parallel prisms. These prisms group into four levels of three. The lower part resembles a frieze. The upper part has an irregular, tree-like appearance.
Escultura Totémica II has specific dimensions. It measures 5.20 meters in height. Its width is 1.80 meters. The depth is 1.35 meters. The sculpture is made of weathering steel. It is owned by the municipality.
Around Escultura Totémica II, you’ll find other features. It forms a composition with the adjacent lake. Nearby, there’s a monolith. It is covered in ceramic tile with a checkerboard pattern. The monolith is quite deteriorated. Traces of a plaque remain but the plaque itself is gone. The circular plaza surrounding the sculpture spans 30 meters in diameter. The ground is sandy. Benches provide seating. There is also a children’s play area.
So, as you stand before Escultura Totémica II, consider its journey. From conception to creation, it stands as a testament to art. It is a symbol of urban transformation. It’s a piece of Madrid’s ongoing story.