La Gran Puerta de México (Mexico's Great Gateway) – Heroica Matamoros, Mexico - Atlas Obscura

La Gran Puerta de MĂ©xico (Mexico's Great Gateway)

Heroica Matamoros, Mexico

A "gateway" into Mexico's northern border, represented by an abstract red tower.  

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With works such as Ciudad Juárez’s X and the Guerrero Chimalli, the sculptor known as Sebastián (real name Enrique Carbajal) is considered the go-to figure for massive, government-funded public artworks in Mexico. A majority of these are monochrome abstract figures—often red—and La Gran Puerta de MĂ©xico is no exception.

The Northern city of Matamoros, opposite the border from Brownsville, Texas, is the country’s easternmost northern border crossing. As such, it can be considered a gateway into Mexico, so it makes sense that Sebastián’s sculpture in the city would be a conceptual representation of such a portal. Inaugurated as part of the celebrations for the city’s 181st anniversary, the sculpture consists of two curved towers united by a cube, giving it the appearance of a capital letter “M.”

Per the creator, the “M” stands for both Matamoros and Mexico. The sculpture is located in the city’s Parque Cultural OlĂ­mpico (Olympic Cultural Park). 

Know Before You Go

Olympic Cultural Park is open to visitors 24 hours a day.

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June 6, 2020

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