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

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

located along the southern section of the

Anillo Periférico The Anillo Periférico known by locals as ''el periférico'' (Spanish for ''peripheral ring'') is the outer beltway of Mexico City. The ''Periferico'' was originally planned by architect Carlos Contreras as early as 1925, together with othe ...

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

in the

Estadio Azteca Estadio Azteca () (officially known as Estadio Banorte for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium located in Coyoacán, Mexico City. It is the official home of football team Club América, as well as the Mexico national team. The stadium ...

, ''Hombre Corriendo'' by Mexican

Germán Cueto Germán Cueto (February 8 or 9, 1883 – February 14, 1975) was a Mexican artist. He was part of the initial wave of artistic activity following the Mexican Revolution. However, his stay in Europe from 1927 to 1932 moved him into more European a ...

in the

Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...

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 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 Estadio GNP Seguros, in which sports and arti ...

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

, President of the Organising Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad in

. 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