It started with the "Mexicráneos", the large fiberglass sculptures of skulls, each one painted with unique designs by different artists. The skulls were displayed along the Paseo de la Reforma, the city's iconic boulevard, during the Day of the Dead season. Then, one summer when the World Cup was being held, giant soccer balls, each one painted to represent a different country, were placed along the boulevard. Then there was "Cows on Parade", a public art display that is held in many cities throughout the world. Again, the fiberglass statues became 3-dimensional canvasses for imaginative artists. Now the Paseo de la Reforma is adorned with over 50 figures of "nopales"... prickly pear cactii.
The display is called "Nopalera en el Corazón"... Cactus in the Heart... and it is part of the celebration of the 700th anniversary of the founding of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City.
The prickly pear cactus is more than just common plant of the landscape in rural Mexico. It is an important part of the nation's culture. From pre-Hispanic times to the present day it has been a source of food. The pads of the cactus (with the spines carefully removed, of course) are a vegetable used in many dishes. The fruit, which is called a "tuna", is also edible.
The name of Tenochtitlan in the Aztec language of Nahuatl means "on a rocky place where "tunas" abound.
According to Aztec legend the nomadic tribe had been told by their principal god, Huitzilipochtli, to settle when the saw an eagle devouring a serpent, perched atop a prickly pear cactus. In 1325, they entered the Valley of Mexico and, on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco, they saw the promised sign. They built their capital here which, after the Spanish conquest, became Mexico City. The coat of arms and the national flag bear the image of the eagle and the serpent and the cactus.
So, the cactii are fitting decorations for the 700th anniversary of the city. Here are some of them... each one painted by a different artist, art collective or local cultural center.
"Wild Nopal"
painted with different animals that live in Mexico.
"Indigenous Woman"
"Cuautli"
Many of the figures have Nahuatl (Aztec) names. I looked up "cuauhtli", and it means "eagle". However, I don't see an eagle here.
"Tzompantli"
The "tzompantli" was the skull rack in the center of Tenochtitlan. The skulls of sacrificial victims were placed on the rack.
"The Sign"
Famous women from Mexican history
"A Part of Everything"
"Creation of the Heart Is Our Root"
The decorations resemble the embroidery designs done by the women of the Otomí tribe.
"Nopalli Ollin Tlanesi"
I found a Nahuatl translation site online. This phrase means something like "dawning of the cactus of movement."
"Identity"
"Tradition and Vanguard"
"Milpa Alta Lives"
Milpa Alta is a borough on the far south side of Mexico City. Even though it is within the city limits it is a largely rural area. Many of the residents still speak Nahautl.
The names on the figure are the names of the different settlements within the borough along with their Aztec glyphs.
"The Caves of Chicomoztoc"
Chicomoztoc is a legendary place along the migration route of the Aztecs to the Valley of Mexcio.
"Nopal, as much a food in the present-day as it was in Tenochtitlan"
"Nopalwave"
"The Other Inhabitants of Great Tenochtitlan"
Aztec glyphs for some of the animals which lived in the Valley of Mexico.
"Mexica Soul"
Mexica is the name by which the Aztecs actually called themselves. We get the name Aztec from Aztlán, the legendary homeland from which the tribe began their migration to central Mexico.
"The Heart of Copil"
In Aztec legends, Copil was the son of a goddess and a king. He was killed by the Aztecs, and his heart was thrown into Lake Texcoco. From his heart a cactus grew... the cactus that signaled the Aztecs where they should build Tenochtitlan.
"The Masked Warrior"
I'm not sure if this is a reference to the masked "lucha libre" wrestlers.
More cactii along Paseo de la Reforma in the next entry...
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