Sol; Kiyoshi Takahashi

“Sol” is easily one of the most recognizable of the monumental works of the Ruta de la Amistad. It was created by artist Kiyoshi Takahashi in the events leading up to the 1968 Olympics. The work was originally installed on the Periférico highway about 4.5 kms west of its present location. It was moved to the intersection with Insurgentes Sur in 2013 as construction of the upper level of the highway  made its original spot a little too crowded.

At 7 meters high, the sculpture is just two white spheres of reinforced. Each is then partially quartered to give, what the artist intended as an optical illusion of rotation. This should be especially apparent to passing motorists. Even if you don’t quite catch the illusion, the work is outstanding.

• Kiyoshi Takahashi (1925–1994) was a Japanese artist who came to Mexico in the 1950s to study indigenous cultures and modern Mexican art. Within a couple of years, he’d exhibited in the Bellas Artes Palace, and come to live in Xalapa, Veracruz. He remained in Veracruz for some ten years and worked, teaching sculpture, at the Universidad Veracruzana. He exhibited at numerous galleries and museums in Mexico and Japan.

On the occasion at which the work was to be moved in 2013, the Ambassador of Japan launched the proceedings. In fact, Takahashi’s Sol, meaning simply Sun, has been quoted numerous times over the years to refer to relations between Mexico and Japan.

The work’s new home is in close proximity to many of the other works from the original Ruta de la Amistad. It was station #4 along the original route.