There is not a corner of Mexico City where you don’t find a monument or a sculpture, either visible from afar, or surprising you when you turn around a corner. One of the most famous monuments is the Monumento a la Revolución (above). This towering art deco edifice is one of the largest triumphal arch in the world and took 28 years to be built. Now a mausoleum, it holds the remains of some of the Mexican Revolution’s biggest players, such as Pancho Villa and Venustiano Carranzo.

Another celebration of history can be found in the city’s larges park, Bosque de Chapultepec, which displays the Monumento a los Niños Héroes. It was built in memory of the so-called ‘niños héroes’ who defended the Castillo de Chapultepec from invading US forces in the Mexican/American war – the last surviving youngsters wrapped themselves in the flag and jumped to their death from the castle walls rather than being captured. I liked the juxtaposition of the grieving mother against the modern skyline.

Downtown around the Zócalo you can admire the Pegasus sculpture by Agustin Querol in front of Palacio de Bellas Artes,

as well as some beckoning ladies along the walls of the building.

A bit further my attention was caught by the Monumento de la Fundación de México-Tenochtitlan which alludes to a crucial aspect of Mexican history, the moment Aztec god Huitzilopochtli became apparent to a group of Aztecs. They saw an eagle eating a snake, perched atop a cactus. Inaugurated some 45 years ago, it is a reminder of Mexico’s mythology and culture, not that the youths on lunch break care.

A more modern expression can be found at business district at Paseo de la Reforma – El Caballito by Sebastián.

The geometric minimalist horse head by the famous contemporary artist is a bit jarring amongst the grey hotels and office building. But definitely more interesting than Fortuna, fittingly placed in front of the doors of the National Lottery Building nearby. 

Personally, I was taken by the various smaller sculptures found in the neighborhood where I stayed – Colonia Condesa and the adjacent Roma Norte. Outdoor decoration as seen at the cultural center Casa Lamm. 

The work below is by Jorge Marín. Wikipedia tells me that “he has been an active figure in the contemporary art world for the last 25 years. He began to sculpt ceramic in the early 1980s. Bronze has been his preferred material for the last ten years. His work often depicts horses, centaurs, garudas, children, madonnas, acrobats, along with elements such as spheres, masks, arrows, boats and scales. These concepts are consistent with recurring themes such as reflection and balance. “

His brother’s Javier Marín’s work is on display as well. He “produces gigantic severed heads of polyester resin and iron appear as if rendered in clay, a material with special significance to many cultures. They are the color of the earth, terracotta and suggest remnants or fragments of some ancient monument to unknown heroes. The forms look like they were dragged through the streets in some distant time, brutalized and left to rest and be mused upon. Shaped in the style of Spanish Baroque sculpture, these heads emit a sense of history, suggesting both strength and decay while aligning themselves in a space between time and cultures.” Or so says his website.

My favorite, though, was found at the National Autonomous University of Mexico campus. There is a sculpture park where you can wander around lava rocks and plants that are unique to this area. Huge, colorful sculptures pop out of the landscape.

Then again, you could just sit and look….