An art attack!

Globalteer’s development manager, Annie Irving writes:

‘When I visited the vibrant city of Medellin early this year, one of the things I enjoyed most about the city was its public artworks.

‘The city centre, in particular, is full of amazing sculptures. My favourites are the 23 voluminous bronze figures by Colombia’s famous artist, Ferdinand Botero, which are displayed in their own plaza in the central city. A very large portion of the Museum of Antiochia, which fronts on to this plaza, is also devoted to Botero’s chubby works. There I discovered Botero’s paintings, which depict equally voluminous people, animals and still lifes. There’s even a chubby Jesus!

‘There are several more striking sculptures in the area around Medellin’s administrative centre. The 38-metre-tall Monument a la Raza is a monument to this region’s people and their struggles against diversity. The lower right part resembles a Greek temple pediment but the left side soars majestically skywards, so that, when photographed from a certain angle, its figures appear to reach out and touch the nearby skyscraper.

‘Though this monument is spectacular, I personally preferred the small bronze figures of local people, by Olga Inés Arango, in the adjoining square in front of the council building. The shoeshine man has an incredibly lifelike face, as has the old woman saleswoman, and the newspaper seller has been caught in mid-voice, shouting out the latest headlines.

‘Across from the administrative centre is the impressive Plaza Cisneros, with its artificial forest of around 300 light poles, some up to 24 metres tall, which is remarkable during the day but must be even more so when lit up at night. The concrete poles are interspersed with stands of tall bamboo, emphasising the idea of an urban forest.

‘I also discovered the Madre Monte, the mythical mother nature sculpted by José Horacio Betancur, in the city’s botanical gardens. And, after a quick google search, I know that Medellin has a multitude of amazing sculptures that I haven’t had time to see.

‘And then there’s the street art ... graffiti on the concrete walls bordering the motorways, images of human figures and huge flower murals adorning the sides of buildings, shops advertising what they sell by painting whole walls with images of their products.

‘Exploring Medellin was a totally unexpected visual feast of colour and artistic imagination! I just wish I had had the time to see more.’

If you volunteer with the Globalteer Volunteer Colombia Kids Project, you will be able to see and enjoy these amazing artworks for yourself. Check out our website now for the project details. Yet another reason to visit Medellin!