The other day I was walking towards my favorite movie theater, the Cineteca Nacional, when I passed by an interesting mural, located on the Real Mayorazgo close to the Ave. Coyoacán. Not only was it skillfully painted, calling attention to its many details, but it seemed to have a message of some type. At least, it made it interesting to think about it, trying to figure our its meaning.
I haven't posted in CCC's Street-Art Contest for a while, so I thought this post should make up for it. Go ahead and take a look at this cool contest with lots of amazing images. This time it's the 68th weekly contest.
Conquistadores on the Long Road to Modernity
Well, I have to admit, I am really not sure about how to interpret this wall painting. It features a Spanish conquistador, that's for certain. He seems to be facing what looks like Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of the dead and the underworld. Maybe it is supposed to represent the ultimate demise of both the Spanish and the Méxica cultures, on their way into becoming something new...? This in turn makes me think of the book The Labyrinth of Soletude by Octavio Paz, which talks about the cosmic race that emerged from the union of these two cultures.
I have no idea what the pre-colombian symbol in the top center is supposed to mean, but the star-filled sky is just as captivating a sight, as the silhouettes of a long line of people marching on the horizon. Maybe this is representing the passing generations over the last five centuries. Quite appropriately, the 499 stands for the number of years since the fall of Tenochtitlan (last year, that is, which would make this mural a year old).
What's perhaps most interesting in this image, is the cell-phone or small tablet in the hand of the conquistador. He has clearly arrived in our modern times ... more or less unwittingly following the dotted route outlined on the bottom, climbing the hills on his arms and shoulder.
The tag in the top right-hand corner clearly identifies the artist of this work as Indid Zozi. But try doing a web search on this name! Because I at least could not find a singe thing. Too bad, since this is actually really awesome mural, and I would love to see what other works this artist has created.
If you liked this, click on any of the thumbnails to see my previous Mexican Murals posts:
