# Ruta de la Amistad

Ruta de la Amistad (English: Friendship Route) is a sculpture corridor in Mexico City located along the southern section of the Anillo Periférico highway. The route was inaugurated in 1968 as part of that year Summer Olympics, has a length of 17 kilometers and nineteen sculptures (also called stations) by artists from seventeen countries.
There are also three guest sculptures that are not located on the main route, but in three main venues of the Summer Olympics: Sol Rojo by American Alexander Calder in the Estadio Azteca, Hombre Corriendo by Mexican Germán Cueto in the Olympic Stadium and Osa Mayor by Mathias Goeritz in the Palacio de los Deportes.

## History

Ruta de la Amistad was conceived by Mexican painter and sculptor Mathias Goeritz in 1967 as a public art project part of the 1968 Cultural Olympiad. The project was approved by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, President of the Organising Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad in Mexico City. Construction happened in 1968 between 17 June and 1 August with the participation of 22 sculptors from seventeen countries.
After the 1968 Olympics the route was partially abandoned and subjected to vandalism. Some sculptures were removed from its original locations due to urban growth and infrastructure works, such as the enlargement of the Anillo Periférico highway. Patronato Ruta de la Amistad, a privately funded organization aimed to protect the route, was established in 1994 and has since helped to maintain and restore the sculptures.

## List of sculptures
### Located on the route

Table featuring sculptures in the National Statuary Hall Collection :
| Station | Sculpture | Country | Sculptor | Original location | Current location |
| 1 | Señales (Signs) | Mexico | Ángela Gurría | San Jerónimo roundabout | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 2 | El Ancla (The Anchor) | Switzerland | Willi Gutmann | Anillo Periférico and Luis Cabrera Avenue | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 3 | Las Tres Gracias (The Three Graces) | Czechoslovakia | Miloslav Chlupáč | Pedregal | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 4 | Sol (Sun) | Japan | Kiyoshi Takahashi | Anillo Periférico and Camino Santa Teresa | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 5 | El Sol Bípedo (The Biped Sun) | Hungary | Pierre Székely | Anillo Periférico and Paseo del Pedregal | Anillo Periférico and Paseo del Pedregal |
| 6 | Torre de los Vientos (The Biped Sun) | Uruguay | Gonzalo Fonseca | Anillo Periférico and Zacatépetl Avenue | Anillo Periférico and Zacatépetl Avenue |
| 7 | Hombre de paz (Man of Peace) | Italy | Constantino Nivola | Miguel Hidalgo Olympic Village | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 8 | Disco Solar (Solar Disc) | Belgium | Jacques Moeschal | Cuicuilco | Cuicuilco |
| 9 | Disco Mágico (Magic Disc) | United States | Todd Williams | Miguel Hidalgo Olympic Village | Miguel Hidalgo Olympic Village |
| 10 | Reloj solar (Sundial) | Poland | Grzegorz Kowalski | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 11 | México (Mexico) | Spain | Josep Maria Subirachs | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 12 | Janus | Australia | Clement Meadmore | Pedregal de Carrasco | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 13 | Muro Articulado (Collapsible Wall) | Austria | Herbert Bayer | Anillo Periférico | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Avenida de los Insurgentes |
| 14 | Tertulia de Gigantes (Giants' Tertulia) | Netherlands | Joop Beljon | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Viaducto Tlalpan | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Viaducto Tlalpan |
| 15 | Puerta de Paz (Door of Peace) | Israel | Yitzhak Danziger | Anillo Periférico and Mexico-Xochimilco Avenue | Anillo Periférico and Mexico-Xochimilco Avenue |
| 16 | Martine | France | Olivier Seguin | Tepepan | Tepepan |
| 17 | Charamusca Africana (African Charamusca) | Morocco | Mohamed Melehi | Anillo Periférico Muyuguarda Avenue | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Viaducto Tlalpan |
| 18 | Sin título (Untitled) | Mexico | Jorge Dubon | Xochimilco | Xochimilco |
| 19 | Puertas al Viento (Doors to the Wind) | Mexico | Helen Escobedo | Xochimilco | Intersection of Anillo Periférico and Viaducto Tlalpan |

### Located outside the route

Table featuring sculptures in the National Statuary Hall Collection :
| No. | Sculpture | Country | Sculptor | Location |
| 1 | Sol Rojo (Red Sun) | United States | Alexander Calder | Estadio Azteca |
| 2 | Hombre Corriendo (Running Man) | Mexico | Germán Cueto | Olympic Stadium |
| 3 | Osa Mayor (Ursa Major) | Mexico | Mathias Goeritz | Palacio de los Deportes |