What if statues could talk? Imagine the stories this Artpiece Statue in Mexico City could tell.
This city boasts incredible public art. Mexico has many artistic achievements. During a recent trip to Mexico City, many outdoor artworks caught my eye.
One standout is El Caballito de Sebastián. It is a very yellow example of public art. The horse is a 28-meter-tall steel sculpture. It is the artist’s abstract depiction of a horse’s head. Bright yellow enamel covers the statue. It honors the Olmec culture.
The original El Caballito stood here for over 100 years. Manuel Tolsá created it. Sebastián replaced the iconic statue with his bold design.
Sebastián’s works appear throughout Mexico City. The Torre Caballito stands in front of it. It was inaugurated in 1992.
The original Caballito honored Carlos V. He rode a horse. Sebastián did not like that. He saw it as conquest. Carlos IV’s horse stepped on pre-Hispanic weapons. The new statue has no rider. It is only an abstract horse head.
Then there is Cocodrilo de Leonora Carrington. This crocodile-like piece stands along Paseo de la Reforma. It is both familiar and fantastic. Five crocodile-like beasts ride a larger crocodile-headed boat. It looks like a fairy tale image. Cocodrilo weighs nearly 5 tonnes. It measures 8 meters long. It is very surreal and imaginative.
Leonora Carrington created this strange sculpture. She was born in England in 1917. She traveled Europe and befriended Dali and Picasso. During World War II, she fled to Mexico. She became a celebrated artist there. She was also a novelist, sculptor, and painter. She played a role in surrealist movements. She lived until 2011.
Another anti-monument is +43. It demands justice for 43 murdered teachers and students. Many artworks along Paseo de la Reforma have a political tone.
+43 inspired other protest monuments. It appeared in 2015. It remembers the Ayotzinapa students. They were abducted in 2014. The slogan reads, “Because they were taken alive, we want them back alive.”
The Estela de Luz is the tallest monument. It stands 104 meters tall. At night, it lights up. It celebrates 200 years of Mexican independence.
The +43 monument stands as a reminder. The 49 ABC sculpture memorializes children. This colorful sculpture remembers 49 children. They died in a daycare fire in 2009.
Hombre mirando al infinito stands in Plaza Necaxa. José Luis Cuevas created it. He honored his wife. The statue inspires a thoughtful pose. It gazes toward infinity.
Monumento a la Madre features three sculptures. A mother holds a child. Two indigenous figures stand beside her. It gives the mother a large-scale memorial.
Alas de Mexico invites viewers to interact. People walk up the steps. They become part of the art. The Wings of Mexico exhibition is international.
These are just a few art pieces. They are all unique. They contribute to the city’s culture. They tell silent stories.