Escultura Montana: One of Medellin’s Notable Public Artworks

TLDR? The Escultura Montana is an interesting sculpture located in downtown Medellin.

Medellin has a ton of great public artworks that are worth checking out. It’s one of the features that display the affection that the city has towards its creative class.

However, if you’ve already been to Plaza Botero, you might not necessarily know much more about what else is out there if you’re relatively new to the city.

One of downtown Medellin’s more notable sculptures is the Escultura Montana. It’s a massive stack of stones located in one of the riverfront parks that is quite a sight to see.

If you’re interested in this kind of thing, make sure to read on as I’ll tell you everything you need to know about planning a visit there.

Where Is Escultura Montana?

Escultura Montana is located in about one of the most central areas of Medellin, just off of the Plaza de La Libertad downtown. This area houses many of the more prominent administrative and community centers of the city.

If you’re taking the metro, you can take it to either the Cisneros stop on the B-line or the Alpujarra stop on the A-line. From there, you can walk from either quite conveniently.

Once you’re in the general area, you’ll have to head from the central plaza areas close to the Museo de Agua and veer toward the Medellin river path. From there, you’ll just need to scan the horizon for what looks like a giant pile of panted boulders arranged in a stack. Once you’ve got a lock on that, it’s unmistakable.

If you make the trip out to see the Escultura, there’s a lot more to see in the area. Attractions range from public parks and hang-out areas to some of the most important institutions in Medellin – I’ll add more to that later.

Psychologically it might seem far from these places since it’s on the other side of the Medellin River. In reality however, the sculpture isn’t far from the Laureles area and all of the attractions that the zone offers.

It’s also within walking distance of Nutibara Hill and the infamous Pueblito Paisa. This is considered a must-do if you’re visiting the city for the first time.

What’s The Deal With Escultura Montana?

The sculpture strikes an impressive pose, rising above its surroundings at a very respectable 13 meters.

The design of the sculpture is simple but makes a big impact. The artist thoughtfully composed many enormous boulders and painted them the city colors of Medellin as a tribute to the city.

It almost functions like it’s a sort of strange flag in that way, and the wabi-sabi features of the boulders jut and protrude interestingly. It’s a funny thing to say, but I compliment the artist on his selection of rocks!

Escultura Montana was composed by an artist by the name of Ugo Rondinone. He has made similar pieces all over the Americas. This includes some sister sculptures in the Mojave desert outside of Los Angeles, as well as one in Miami.

Ugo Rondinone worked in conjunction with the Medellin Museum of Modern Art (MAMM). The sculpture is one of many public art pieces in the general vicinity, which include the notable Monumento de La Raza nearby. There are also numerous sculptures and interactive art pieces in the Medellin river park.

Close To A Whole Lot More

As mentioned before, Escultura Montana is located directly on the Medellin river park. This is a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon and has a ton of things to see in it.

There are many benches and tables nearby that facilitate a good study or hang-out session. There’s also a lot of bird watching to be done as well due to the area’s green space and proximity to water. You’re also in the center of the valley of Medellin, so there are a lot of really beautiful views of the city’s surrounding mountains.

On top of that, the area makes for good people watching as well. There are usually tons of people exercising, doing some kind of group activity, families hanging out and throwing a party, or some kind of community event. The area is overall a great example of the city’s efforts towards urban renewal. That’s because everything is brand new and in tip-top shape.

I took a book and a coffee and planted myself in one of the nearby table areas and spent an afternoon people-watching and composing notes in my journal.

All the while, I was under the shadow of one of the city’s finest public art pieces!

Another Example of Great Public Art in Medellin

The Escultura Montana could be considered an especially patriotic piece of Medellin street art. This is because the sculpture is painted in the colors of the city!

The artist also intended for it to be a work that honored the bright future that he envisioned for the city.

Interestingly, he also points out that Medellin’s changing nature can be summarized by its relationship with its central river. This adds an element of depth to the choice of placing the sculpture here.

In The Words of The Artist

When researching the artwork online, I came across this work from Ugo Rondinome about his piece. I feel like it sums up his intentions with the creation of the piece, “Es Medellín cambiando la relación con el río, de una ciudad que ha cambiado momentos conflictivos por desarrollo, entusiasmo y efervescencia creativa”.

In English, this reads, “It is Medellin changing the relationship with the river, of a city that has exchanged troubled times for development, enthusiasm, and creative effervescence.”

It’s with this spirit that Medellin and its creative community move forward. They’re doing it into a very optimistic future that’s looking quite positive from multiple fronts.

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