The , also known as , is an outdoor sculpture and monument in the city of Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. It is constructed of concrete and bronze, and it was created by Colombian sculptor Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt (1919–1995). It was inaugurated in the central square of the

La Alpujarra Administrative Center La Alpujarra Administrative Center, officially known as the José María Córdova Administrative Center, is an urban complex of government buildings built in the 1980s for the administration of the Antioquia department and Medellín municipality. ...

on 31 May 1988. The monument is made of a curved concrete structure covered in several bronze sculptures that represent Antioquian culture. In 2016, an urn holding a portion of Arenas' remains was set up next to the artwork.

History and construction

The Medellin government approved the erection of a monument honoring on 4 September 1975. Colombian sculptor Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt aimed to capture the culture and people of Antioquia in his artwork.

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and

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

were used to construct the monument's base. It was inaugurated on 31 May 1988, being blessed by

cardinal bishop A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. C ...

Alfonso López Trujillo Alfonso López Trujillo (8 November 1935 – 19 April 2008) was a Colombian Cardinal Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church and president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Biography Youth Born in Villahermosa, Tolima, López Trujillo mov ...

. During the inauguration, Arenas said: During the 203-year anniversary commemoration of the Independence of Antioquia in August 2016, Arenas was honored and part of his remains were transferred to an urn next to the monument.

Status

The monument is exposed to multiple contaminants, including pollution, moss, and pigeons and their feces. The damage is visible to the naked eye. In August 2016, then-governor of Antioquia announced a restoration, but as of April 2018 it had not been conducted.

Description and interpretation

The rises to in height, and weights . The Museo Universitario de Artes Digitales described the monument as a brown curved sculpture that points to the sky. According to the museum, the monument symbolizes the culture of Antioquia, including its agriculture, religion, and solidarity. The museum interpreted the work as a method to expose Arenas' early life in the Antioquia's farmlands. Andrés Carvajal López from the

EAFIT University EAFIT University (originally the acronym in Spanish: Escuela de Administración, Finanzas e Instituto Tecnológico, «School of Administration, Finance and Technological Institute») is a private Colombian university located in Medellín offerin ...

said it portraits the story of the people that came out of the mud attempting to reach the top, starting from the bottom and trying to reach divinity in the

zenith The zenith (, ) is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction ( plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location ( nadir). The zenith is the "high ...

. María Elena Quintero, poet and widow of Arenas, said:

Reception

Sarah Woods described the ''Monumento a la Raza'' as a "powerful ndrobust" work that depicts "the forces of good and evil".

Gallery

File:2018 Monumento a la raza de Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt - La Alpujarra - Medellín.jpg, Detail of the lower part of the monument in 2018. The ambient damage is visible in some sculptures., alt=Part of the monument featuring several sculptures covered with pollutants. File:Monumento a la raza (6).JPG, Detail of the top of the monument., alt=Multiple sculptures of people attempting to reach the top of the monument. File:Monumento a la Raza (Medellín), cenizas de Rodrigo Arenas.jpg, The urn installed on 11 August 2016., alt=An urn with a plaque that honors Arena Betancourt: "Icon of the Antioquian people and a great sculptor of America".

Notes

*A Original text in

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: "". *B Original text in

: "".

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1988 establishments in Colombia Bronze sculptures in Colombia Buildings and structures in Medellín Monuments and memorials in Colombia Tourist attractions in Medellín