Did you think that just seeing it was enough? Learn more about this symbol that does not go unnoticed. Many call it an armastote, others assure that this piece that stands on Paseo de la Reforma is the creation of the spoiled artist of former president Carlos Salinas. The reality is that "El Caballito" is one of the most emblematic monuments of Mexico City. Who can miss the 28 meter tall yellow sculpture? The steed's head, also known as “El Caballito de Sebastián”, is a steel work created by the sculptor Sebastián whose real name is Enrique Carbajal. It was inaugurated on January 15, 1992 and had two main objectives, the first was to replace “El Caballito” by Manuel Tolsá, a work that is currently outside the Palacio de Minería. And the second, to be a chimney that dissipates the vapors from the deep drainage.
With the rapid growth of the city, a deep drainage was created that required a vent, but that did not negatively affect the image of the Paseo de la Reforma. The solution came from the hand of the Chihuahuan sculptor Enrique Carbajal, better known as Sebastián. The commission of Max Hadad, owner of the building identified as "El Caballito", was simple, he wanted a monumental sculpture that would replace El Caballito de Tolsá and function as a vent. The limitations were that the sculpture was cylindrical 28 meters high by 10 in diameter to easily dissipate the vapors from the deep drainage. For Sebastián it was a challenge, for the artist it was significant to replace the emblematic work of Manuel Toslá, so he decided to make a parallel in the plastic concept. In an interview with Proceso in 1991, he told that the statue of Carlos IV “meant conquest, domination, and I don't like that: Carlos IV's horse is stepping on the symbol of pre-Hispanic weapons, a quiver, the shield with the spears. " As a result of his work, he is not treading on anything, he has no rider and is only the evocation of the animal's head. The sculpture inaugurated in January 1992 has sparked controversy since that day. It is one of the landmarks of the capital of the country, but it is not to the taste of all the people who see it. Professes the saying that each head is a world and each opinion is valid, what do you think about this monument? How to get Tacuba 5, Downtown, Cuauhtémoc. 06000, Alameda
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