Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
10 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
13 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
16 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
23 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico Chimalhuacán 'Guerrero Chimalli'

'Guerrero Chimalli'

This controversial, abstract sculpture is meant to represent an Aztec warrior.

Chimalhuacán, Mexico

Added By
linkogecko
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
“Guerrero Chimalli.”   samp ang/cc by-sa 4.0
“Guerrero Chimalli.”   samp ang/cc by-sa 4.0
“Guerrero Chimalli.”   eneasmx/cc by-sa 4.0
“Guerrero Chimalli.”   Francisco Carmona/cc by-sa 4.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This 197-foot-tall (60 meters) sculpture by the artist Sebastián is located in Chimalhuacán, one of the peripheral neighborhoods known as part of Greater Mexico City's Área Metropolitana. Sebastián, born Enrique Carbajal, has gained something of a reputation for abstract, public-funded works. 

Chimalhuacán is officially located in the State of Mexico, and has a reputation as one of Mexico's least developed areas. It's home to the Bordo de Xochiaca, one of the capital's largest landfills, and is an unlikely location for an abstract sculpture of this size, especially considering its cost of approximately MXN $30 million.

Sebastián was commissioned by the local government of Chimalhuacán to create a massive icon for the neighborhood. The artist settled on an Aztec warrior with a chimalli (shield) in his characteristic monochrome. With the name Chimalhuacán roughly translating to "Place of the Shields" in Náhuatl, the defensive item made sense to accompany the warrior.

The artwork was inaugurated in 2015, and only time will tell if "Guerrero Chimalli" will manage the same iconic status of other Sebastián works, like the X of Ciudad Juárez, or if its cost, is disproportionate to one of Mexico's most troubled areas, will continue to mar its appreciation

Related Tags

Aztec Statues Roadside Attractions Art Public Art
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Yucatan Family Adventure: Meteors, Pyramids & Maya Legends

Explore Maya temples and learn about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

linkogecko

Published

January 20, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/2014/12/13/997572
  • https://www.milenio.com/estados/el-gran-guerrero-chimalli
  • https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/opinion/gil-games/escultura
'Guerrero Chimalli'
S/N Av Bordo de Xochiaca
Chimalhuacán, 56353
Mexico
19.413016, -98.983857
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Cabeza de Juárez

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Foro Sol

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

La Nueva Viga Market

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 594
Stories 60

Nearby Places

Cabeza de Juárez

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Foro Sol

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

La Nueva Viga Market

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 594
Stories 60

Related Places

  • Statue of Captain Cook inside The Lighthouse: Tū Whenua-a-Kura

    Auckland, New Zealand

    'The Lighthouse: Tū Whenua-a-Kura'

    A neon-illuminated statue of James Cook at the edge of a historical Auckland wharf makes for an unexpected discovery.

  • The Pointer

    Corona, New Mexico

    'Cowboy Ruckus'

    Catch two 18-foot-tall ranchers mid-brawl as you drive by on Highway 285.

  • One of the Twelve Stone faces.

    Torrig, Denmark

    Dodekalitten

    An air of mystery pervades this modern-day singing Stonehenge.

  • “Pennies from Heaven.” 

    Falls Church, Virginia

    'Pennies from Heaven'

    A whopping 14,000 copper coins cover this miniature fighter jet.

  • Gorditas Saleswoman.

    Xicotepec de Juárez, Mexico

    'Vendedoras de Gorditas' ('Gorditas Saleswomen')

    A tribute to a local delicacy and the women who prepare and sell it.

  • Mexico City, Mexico

    'La Mujer Chimenea' ('The Chimney Woman')

    Mexico's second-tallest monument, now half-hidden in a private residential complex.

  • Wearing wellies, she’s striding forward with great purpose…

    Brisbane, Australia

    'Emblem'

    A colorful sculpture of an Australian symbol patrols an otherwise ordinary traffic island.

  • Bow-less archer.

    Musselburgh, Scotland

    'The Musselburgh Archer'

    A sculpture dedicated to the Roman history steeped in a Scottish town.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.