Metro Santa Anita

Metro Santa Anita is likely the most underrated station in Mexico City. On Line 4 and on Line 8, it arrives to Iztacalco‘s unique original settlement, Santa Anita Zacatlamanco Huehuetl. And for those worried about overcrowding on the Metro, it has the lowest passenger numbers too.

The Santa Anita neighborhood surrounds the old Church of the same name. It’s a striking 18th-century temple with a tremendous art collection and one of the best preserved altar-pieces in the city. The town is also famous for its tamaleros, tamales vendors, and, of course, for their tamales, too.

It’s historically an old canal town, where produce and flowers began their journey north along the Canal de la Viga to Mexico City’s center. The long tradition explains the presence of the Mercado Jamaica just to the north of the station.

The Metro Santa Anita station also includes a considerable number of public artworks in addition to the mosaic at the top of this page.

The first seven works above are by David Lach. He created these (there are eight in the station) along with six more in the station Terminal Aéria. The works are translucent, and illuminated by the sun.  Lach (1949-) has continued to exhibit his work all over Mexico and abroad since the 1970s.

The last work pictured above is titled Un paisaje de color para todos, (A Colorful Landscape for All). The 2002 work is by French artist Gerard Economus (1935-2016). He developed a personal concept of painting, sometimes called “Visible Music.” The work is 10 meters wide by 2 meters high and was donated by the Ambassador of France to Mexico, Phillipe Faure, in 2002. Economus lived much of his life in Guadalajara and was inducted into the French Legion of Honor in 2005 for his work.