Ruta de la Amistad (English: Friendship Route) is a sculpture corridor in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

located along the southern section of the

Anillo Periférico The Anillo Periférico (Spanish for ''peripheral ring'') is the outer beltway A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encirc ...

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. 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 Alexander Calder (; July 22, 1898 – November 11, 1976) was an American sculptor known both for his innovative mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents) that embrace chance in their aesthetic, his static "stabiles", and his ...

in the

Estadio Azteca Estadio Azteca () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the official home of football clubs Club América and Cruz Azul as well as the Mexico national football team. The stadium sits at an altitude of above sea level. Wit ...

, ''Hombre Corriendo'' by Mexican

Germán Cueto Germán Cueto (February 8 or 9, 1883, Mexico City – February 14, 1975) was a List of Mexican artists, Mexican artist. He was part of the initial wave of artistic activity following the Mexican Revolution. However, his stay in Europe from 1927 ...

in the

Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...

and ''Osa Mayor'' by

Mathias Goeritz Werner Mathias Goeritz Brunner (4 April 1915, Danzig, German Empire – 4 August 1990, Mexico City) was a Mexican painter and sculptor of German people, German origin. After spending much of the 1940s in North Africa and Spain, he and his wife, ...

in the

Palacio de los Deportes () is an indoor arena located in Mexico City, Mexico. It is within the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City complex, near the Mexico City International Airport and in front of the Foro Sol, in which sports and artistic events are also celebrated. It i ...

History

Ruta de la Amistad was conceived by Mexican painter and sculptor

in 1967 as a public art project part of the 1968 Cultural Olympiad. The project was approved by architect

Pedro Ramírez Vázquez Pedro Ramírez Vázquez (April 16, 1919 – April 16, 2013)
Retrieved 2013-04-16. was a

Games of the XIX Olympiad The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

. Construction happened in 1968 between 17 June and 1 August with the participation of 22 sculptors from seventeen countries. 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

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.

History

List of sculptures

Located on the route

Located outside the route

References