Sidewalk Sculpture Exhibit

Sculptures, Ecology & the Paseo de Montejo

The sculpture that graces our cover this month is one of the 38 sculptures on the Paseo de Montejo and the Pasaje de la Revolucion (just off the Main Plaza) that are part of the Sisterhood of Sculptures Mexico-Germany 2008 exhibition.

This particular piece, a huge ear of corn, was sculpted from Oaxaca yellow stone by Mexican sculptor Marco Palma and represents mans manipulation and the transformation of seeds into GMO’s - genetically modified foods.

With science advancing by leaps and bounds, there is a new trend to create vegetables, cereals, cattle, etc. that are bigger, stronger and more resistant to blight and bugs. These genetic advances/manipulations are creating great doubt and a lot of inconformity in a large sector of the population. The ability to produce more in less time is not just to meet human nutritional needs but also because there are great economical interests involved with the big food monopolies. In the meantime, sufficient studies have not been done to see the ecological impact that these crops will have on a large scale. Are they safe? How do they affect humans?

While you might find these sculptures to be weird, ugly or different and not your “normal art,” each and every piece brings an important message to the viewers – how recycling is important, how we must take care of our mother earth, how we can participate.

The fact that the guest country is Germany is no accident. Germany is a pioneer and one of the world’s leaders in protecting and conserving the environment; its ecological laws and economical development are a top priority for them. The promoters of this exhibition (MACAY – Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Yucatan) and the artists themselves hope that when the sculptures will serve as a wake-up call for the viewers and that they reflect on what each and everyone of us is doing to hurt the environment – our lack of interest, consciousness and education and how we are destroying the planet by leaps and bounds. The message of this exhibition is purely an environmental one.

The art form that we see on the Paseo de Montejo and the Pasaje de la Revolucion is a new art form, a form called contemporary ecological art. We all know that change begins with educationing children. With this in mind, the Educational Services of the Macay Museum have planned guided tours for Merida’s public school children giving the children food for thought and the teachers the perfect opportunity to plan some lessons on ecology and the environment and how to take care of it.

These sculptures will be in place and serving as educational tools till February 2009.

www.macay.org

We recommend that you walk on both sides of the Paseo de Montejo between Avenida Colon and Calle 47 to enjoy
each and every one of the sculptures. And don't forget to take a camera. Consider including a person next to the sculpture just so you can appreciate the size of these very large outdoor sculptures.

Each sculpture has a plaque next to it with the name of the work, the name and nationality of the artist and the material and technique of the piece. The themes of the sculptures range from abstract to realist to modern to whimsical, with the materials ranging from stainless steel to cement to wood to clay to plaster of paris and more.

To read in Spanish click here

Recommended reading
 Museums
 MACAY Museum
 Art Galleries
 Anthropological Museum
The Calle 60 Stroll

Visit our maps
 Map of Merida Historical Downtown
 Map of Merida Downtown
 Map of Merida City
 Map of Yucatan Peninsula