Ruta de la Amistad

Ruta de la Amistad (English: Friendship Route) is a sculpture corridor in Mexico City located along the southern section of the Anillo Periférico highway. The route was inaugurated in 1968 as part of that year Summer Olympics, has a length of 17 kilometers and nineteen sculptures (also called stations) by artists from seventeen countries.[1]

There are also three guest sculptures that are not located on the main route, but in three main venues of the Summer Olympics: Sol Rojo by American Alexander Calder in the Estadio Azteca, Hombre Corriendo by Mexican Germán Cueto in the Olympic Stadium and Osa Mayor by Mathias Goeritz in the Palacio de los Deportes.[2]

History

Ruta de la Amistad was conceived by Mexican painter and sculptor Mathias Goeritz in 1967 as a public art project part of the 1968 Cultural Olympiad. The project was approved by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, President of the Organising Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad in Mexico City.[3] Construction happened in 1968 between 17 June and 1 August with the participation of 22 sculptors from seventeen countries.[4]

After the 1968 Olympics the route was partially abandoned and subjected to vandalism. Some sculptures were removed from its original locations due to urban growth and infrastructure works, such as the enlargement of the Anillo Periférico highway. Patronato Ruta de la Amistad, a privately funded organization aimed to protect the route, was established in 1994 and has since helped to maintain and restore the sculptures.[3][5]

List of sculptures

Located on the route

Table featuring sculptures in the National Statuary Hall Collection
Station Sculpture Image Country Sculptor Original location Current location Ref.
1 Señales
(Signs) 		Mexico Ángela Gurría San Jerónimo roundabout Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [6]
2 El Ancla
(The Anchor) 		Switzerland Willi Gutmann Anillo Periférico and Luis Cabrera Avenue Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [7]
3 Las Tres Gracias
(The Three Graces) 		Czechoslovakia Miloslav Chlupáč Pedregal Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [8]
4 Sol
(Sun) 		Japan Kiyoshi Takahashi Anillo Periférico and Camino Santa Teresa Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [9]
5 El Sol Bípedo
(The Biped Sun) 		Hungary Pierre Székely Anillo Periférico and Paseo del Pedregal [10]
6 Torre de los Vientos
(The Biped Sun) 		Uruguay Gonzalo Fonseca Anillo Periférico and Zacatépetl Avenue [11]
7 Hombre de paz
(Man of Peace) 		Italy Constantino Nivola Miguel Hidalgo Olympic Village Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [12]
8 Disco Solar
(Solar Disc) 		Belgium Jacques Moeschal Cuicuilco [13]
9 Disco Mágico
(Magic Disc) 		United States Todd Williams Miguel Hidalgo Olympic Village [14]
10 Reloj solar
(Sundial) 		Poland Grzegorz Kowalski Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [15]
11 México
(Mexico) 		Spain Josep Maria Subirachs Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [16]
12 Janus Australia Clement Meadmore Pedregal de Carrasco Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [17]
13 Muro Articulado
(Collapsible Wall) 		Austria Herbert Bayer Anillo Periférico Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes [18]
14 Tertulia de Gigantes
(Giants' Tertulia) 		Netherlands Joop Beljon Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Viaducto Tlalpan [19]
15 Puerta de Paz
(Door of Peace) 		Israel Yitzhak Danziger Anillo Periférico and Mexico-Xochimilco Avenue [20]
16 Martine France Olivier Seguin Tepepan [21]
17 Charamusca Africana
(African Charamusca) 		Morocco Mohamed Melehi Anillo Periférico Muyuguarda Avenue Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Viaducto Tlalpan [22]
18 Sin título
(Untitled) 		Mexico Jorge Dubon Xochimilco [23]
19 Puertas al Viento
(Doors to the Wind) 		Mexico Helen Escobedo Xochimilco Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Viaducto Tlalpan [24]

Located outside the route

Table featuring sculptures in the National Statuary Hall Collection
No. Sculpture Image Country Sculptor Location Ref.
1 Sol Rojo
(Red Sun) 		United States Alexander Calder Estadio Azteca [25]
2 Hombre Corriendo
(Running Man) 		Mexico Germán Cueto Olympic Stadium [26]
3 Osa Mayor
(Ursa Major) 		Mexico Mathias Goeritz Palacio de los Deportes [27]

References

  1. ^ "Historia". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  2. ^ Rebatta, Andrew (9 June 2011). "La ruta de la amistad y el desarrollo del no-lugar". Museo Experimental El Eco (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b Reyes, Rosario (12 October 2018). "La Ruta de la Amistad, olvidada, en descuido y hasta rechazada". El Financiero (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  4. ^ "1968-2018. Cincuenta años de La Ruta de la Amistad". Buró Verde Arquitectura (in Spanish). 16 November 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  5. ^ Loiseau, Benoît (16 October 2018). "Mexico City's public sculpture corridor is a broken dream worth saving". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Estación # 1 Señales". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Estación # 2 El Ancla". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Estación # 3 Las Tres Gracias". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Estación # 4 Sol". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Estación # 5 El Sol Bípedo". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Estación # 6 Torre de los Vientos". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Estación # 7 Hombre de Paz". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Estación # 8 Disco Solar". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Estación # 9". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Estación # 10 Reloj solar". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Estación # 11 México". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Estación # 12 Janus". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Estación # 13 Muro Articulado". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Estación # 14 Tertulia de Gigantes". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Estación # 15 Puerta de paz". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Estación # 16". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Estación # 17 Charamusca Africana". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  23. ^ "Estación # 18". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  24. ^ "Estación # 19 Puertas al Viento". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  25. ^ "Invitada 1 Sol Rojo". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  26. ^ "Invitada 2 Hombre Corriendo". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  27. ^ "Invitada 3 Osa Mayor". México 68 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.