Guerrero Chimalli

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]

For the adjacent BRT station, see Guerrero Chimalli (Mexibús).
Guerrero Chimalli
The sculpture in 2018 (the unrelated In Search of the Truth project is seen at the entrance)
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
Websiteexperiencia.edomex.gob.mx

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 2022, 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 2022).[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. Pérez Cruz, Emiliano (27 December 2014). "El gran Guerrero Chimalli" [The great Guerrero Chimalli]. Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. 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. 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). Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  12. Gamés, Gil (30 January 2015). "Escultura" [Sculpture]. El Financiero (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2022.
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