''Guerrero Chimalli'' ("Shield Warrior") is an outdoor steel sculpture by
Enrique "Sebastián" Carbajal, installed along Bordo de Xochiaca Avenue, in
Chimalhuacán,
State of Mexico
The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is ...
. It is a artwork that depicts an
indigenous warrior holding a
Chīmalli
The Chīmalli (; "shield") was the traditional defensive armament of the indigenous states of Mesoamerica. These shields varied in design and purpose. The Chīmalli was also used while wearing special headgear.
Construction
Chīmalli were const ...
(a type of shield) and a mace. The plinth serves as a museum and the sculpture as an
observation deck. Excluding their plinths, it is slightly taller than the
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...
, in the United States.
History and description
The sculpture of ''Guerrero Chimalli'' is a tall red
Aztec warrior that holds a
Chīmalli
The Chīmalli (; "shield") was the traditional defensive armament of the indigenous states of Mesoamerica. These shields varied in design and purpose. The Chīmalli was also used while wearing special headgear.
Construction
Chīmalli were const ...
and a mace. It was created by
Enrique "Sebastián" Carbajal. The sculpture itself weighs around , but the concrete plinth (which is high) and the 65 piles that support them increase the height to and the weight to . Due to its height and color, the sculpture can be seen throughout Chimalhuacán and in adjacent zones.
[
Its construction started during the 2009–2012 municipal administration.][ It is composed of 33 welded steel pieces painted with red polyurethane paint. The artwork cost US$2.4 million (which would be $ million in , considering inflation). Additionally, the government remodeled the median strip where it lies; they added a fountain, bridges and trees. These additional works cost $1.4 million ($ million in ).][
The sculpture was inaugurated on 13 December 2014. It was dedicated to the '' Tenochcas'' that defended Tenochtitlan during the ]Fall of Tenochtitlan
The Fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was a decisive event in the Spanish conquest of the empire. It occurred in 1521 following extensive manipulation of local factions and exploitation of pre-existing political divisions ...
.
Reception
Like most of Sebastián's works, ''Guerrero Chimalli'' received mixed reactions to the artist's style. It additionally received criticism due to its cost as half of the municipality's population lives in some degree of poverty. According to Sebastián, the most expensive investment were the cranes that placed each piece.[ It was also compared to '' Mazinger Z'', '' Ultraman'', Godzilla and '' Transformers''.]El Financiero
''El Financiero'' (, "The Financial") is a Mexican national daily newspaper covering business and the financial markets. It is owned by Grupo Multimedia Lauman, S.A.P.I. de C.V. and has offices in the Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City.
H ...
'': "You spot it from a distance and the warrior is ugly, but if you get closer it is simply hideous".
See also
* '' Coyote en Ayuno'', another sculpture by Sebastián in the neighboring municipality of Nezahualcóyotl.
* List of tallest statues
References
External links
*
* at the State of Mexico's official tourism website (in Spanish)
''Guerrero Chimalli''
at '' Atlas Obscura''
{{Sebastián (sculptor)
2014 establishments in Mexico
2014 sculptures
Aztec
Museums in the State of Mexico
Outdoor sculptures in the State of Mexico
Sculptures of men in Mexico
Steel sculptures in Mexico