You may have heard that in the colonia Buenos Aires you can find any part or spare part you need for your car. You may have also heard that, just in case, it is better not to arrive by car. This bad reputation has accompanied the colony for several years, despite its long history. With the aim of vindicating Buenos Aires and its inhabitants, the artist Yvonne Domenge Gaudry (1949-2019) worked with several neighbors of the neighborhood. Together they created a series of sculptures that would represent the spirit of the place. This is how the Corredor Escultórico Buenos Aires was created, on Dr. Vértiz, between Eje Central and Viaducto.
The origin of the Buenos Aires Sculpture Corridor
In 2000, Domenge devised an inclusion project for the Buenos Aires neighborhood, which at the time was an area with high rates of marginalization. With this in mind, the sculptor sought the support of the Mexico City Museum and FONCA. The sculptor toured the neighborhood with a sculpture made of auto parts to publicize the project in the neighborhood. In this way, she sought to encourage the people of Buenos Aires to participate.
In a September 2002 article in La Jornada, the artist commented that initiating the project was not easy and that, in fact, there were several changes during its realization. At the beginning, she had thought that several workshops and neighbors would create a monumental sculpture. However, upon learning about the particularities of the community, Yvonne realized that this was not feasible because the community respected individuality. Based on this principle, they decided that each family or workshop would create their own piece.
I want to make an ant
Although the project was planned to last 5 months, it was extended for three years. During this time, the people of Buenos Aires opened the doors of their workshops to Domenge. The artist worked individually with each one. Thanks to this, she was able to learn more about the life of the colony and the personal history of those who decided to participate. Such was the case of a girl who worked disassembling gearboxes. According to Domenge, the young woman was tired of the same work, so one day he recommended to her: "When the day is over, do something you would have liked to do since you were a child". The girl's response was, "I want to make an ant."
The Buenos Aires Sculpture Corridor was inaugurated in December 2001, one year after the project was initiated. It is located in the Doctor Vértiz traffic circle, in the stretch between Viaducto and Doctor Bolaños Cacho. Initially, only four works were installed. Over the years the number has reached 15 sculptures, all made by the residents of Buenos Aires. But not all of them have survived.
Currently only seven sculptures remain in the Buenos Aires Sculpture Corridor. Three are abstract works, a turtle -my favorite- and a character that, according to what I was told, is Sancho Panza. There is also an emblematic horse standing on its hindquarters that seems to welcome you to this urban gallery. Perhaps the best time to visit the sculptures is on a Sunday morning, when the almost non-existent flow of cars allows these characters to appear.
