Guerrero Chimalli

For the adjacent BRT station, see Guerrero Chimalli (Mexibús).
Guerrero Chimalli
The sculpture in 2015
Map
Location
ArtistSebastián
Year2014 (2014)
MediumSteel
Dimensions60 m (200 ft)
Weight870 t (860 long tons; 960 short tons)
LocationChimalhuacán
Coordinates19°24′47″N 98°59′02″W / 19.41306°N 98.98389°W / 19.41306; -98.98389
Websiteexperiencia.edomex.gob.mx

Guerrero Chimalli (Spanish: [ɡeˈreɾo tʃiˈmali] ⓘ; "Shield Warrior") is an outdoor steel sculpture by Enrique "Sebastián" Carbajal, installed along Bordo de Xochiaca Avenue, in Chimalhuacán, State of Mexico. It is a 60 meters (200 ft) artwork that depicts an indigenous warrior holding a Chīmalli (a type of shield) and a mace. The plinth serves as a museum and the sculpture as an observation deck.[1] Excluding their plinths, it is slightly taller than the Statue of Liberty, in the United States.[2]

History and description

Sebastián supervising the installation in June 2014

The sculpture of Guerrero Chimalli is a 50 meters (160 ft) tall red Aztec warrior that holds a Chīmalli and a mace. It was created by Enrique "Sebastián" Carbajal. The sculpture itself weighs around 600 metric tons (590 long tons; 660 short tons), but the concrete plinth (which is 10 m [33 ft] high) and the 65 piles that support them increase the height to 60 m (200 ft) and the weight to 870 t (860 long tons; 960 short tons). Due to its height and color, the sculpture can be seen throughout Chimalhuacán and in adjacent zones.[3]

Its construction started during the 2009–2012 municipal administration.[3] It is composed of 33 welded steel pieces painted with red polyurethane paint. The artwork cost US$2.4 million (which would be $3 million in 2023, considering inflation). Additionally, the government remodeled the median strip where it lies; they added a fountain, bridges and trees. These additional works cost $1.4 million ($2 million in 2023).[4]

The sculpture was inaugurated on 13 December 2014.[5] It was dedicated to the Tenochcas that defended Tenochtitlan during the Fall of Tenochtitlan.[3] The scultpure has an observation deck at its arm. It is 40 m (130 ft) long, 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) high and it is connected to the base with a staircase composed of 250 steps and an elevator.[6][7]

Sebastián described his work as "an exceptional, attractive and emotional colossus" whose purpose is "to promote the spirit, to understand what we are and to proceed as a society with a modern and universal mentality".[8]

Reception

Like most of Sebastián's works, Guerrero Chimalli received mixed reactions to the artist's style.[9] It additionally received criticism due to its cost as half of the municipality's population lives in some degree of poverty.[10] According to Sebastián, the most expensive investment were the cranes that placed each piece.[11] It was also compared to Mazinger Z, Ultraman, Godzilla and Transformers.[3][4] Gil Gamés wrote for El Financiero: "You spot it from a distance and the warrior is ugly, but if you get closer it is simply hideous".[12] Sebastián compared the criticism the sculpture received with similar opinions the Eiffel Tower experienced when it was inaugurated.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ García, Zuleyma (12 August 2019). "Guerrero Chimalli tiene mirador y museo" [Guerrero Chimalli has an observation deck and a museum]. Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via PressReader.
  2. ^ Brown, Matt (15 February 2018). Everything You Know About Art is Wrong. Batsford. ISBN 9781849944298.
  3. ^ a b c d Pérez Cruz, Emiliano (27 December 2014). "El gran Guerrero Chimalli" [The great Guerrero Chimalli]. Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b De Llano, Pablo (2 April 2015). "El guerrero y la antorcha" [The warrior and the torch]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Inauguran escultura Guerrero Chimalli de Sebastián" [Guerrero Chimalli sculpture by Sebastián inaugurated]. Excélsior (in Spanish). Chimalhuacán. Notimex. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  6. ^ "'Guerrero Chimali' adorna la zona urbana de Chimalhuacán" ['Guerrero Chimali' decorates the urban zone of Chimalhuacán]. H Grupo Editorial (in Spanish). Chimalhuacán. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  7. ^ Jiménez Jacinto, Rebeca (11 March 2015). "Sebastian acepta crítica a Guerrero Chimalli" [Sebastián accepts criticism of Guerrero Chimalli]. El Universal (in Spanish). Naucalpan. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  8. ^ Dueñas Vázquez, Lily (December 2014). "El Guerrero Chimalli, uno de mis sueños cumplidos: Sebastián" [Guerrero Chimalli, one of my dreams fulfilled: Sebastián]. La Crónica de Chihuahua (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  9. ^ Rodríguez Durán, Alejandro (13 January 2015). "Guerrero Chimalli, polémica escultura monumental de Chimalhuacán" [Guerrero Chimalli, controversial monumental sculpture of Chimalhuacán]. Paredro (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  10. ^ López Gutiérrez, Paulina (19 May 2015). "Chimalhuacán y la oportunidad del Guerrero Chimalli" [Chimalhuacán and the opportunity of Guerrero Chimalli]. Nexos (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  11. ^ a b Ortuño, Gonzalo (18 December 2014). "'Guerrero Chimalli' costó 30 mdp; tiene una historia similar a la Torre Eiffel, dice autor" ['Guerrero Chimalli' cost 30 million pesos; has a similar history to that of the Eiffel Tower, says author]. Animal Político (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  12. ^ Gamés, Gil (30 January 2015). "Escultura" [Sculpture]. El Financiero (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2022.