ITALIAN MONUMENT; WHEEL MONUMENT; LABOURERS WORKING ON MONUMENT; POLISH INDIAN VILLAGE MONUMENT; PUZZLED MEXICAN; BLACK-AND-WHITE PILAR MONUMENT; THREE-PILLARED MONUMENT; GLOVE-LIKE MONUMENT; BEWILDERED ONLOOKER.




Initials JH/VS/BOB/ES



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Background: IN AN EFFORT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE OF THE 1968 OLYMPIC GAMES IN MEXICO CITY, THE MEXICAN AUTHORITIES HAVE INVITED ALL THE COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING TO SEND A SCULPTOR TO MAKE A WORK OF ART FOR THE OCTOBER 12 OPENING.

17 COUNTRIES HAVE ACCEPTED AND AN 11-MILE (17.7 KM) SECTION OF THE FREEWAY FROM DOWNTOWN MEXICO CITY TO OLYMPIC VILLAGE HAS BECOME THE SHOW-PLACE OF THE SCULPTURES.

THE SPANISH SCULPTURE, DESIGNED BY JOSE MARIA SUBIRACHS, SHOWS ON ITS BASE THE TRIANGLE OF THE AZTEC PYRAMIDS. AT ITS TOP, IT REPRESENTS THE SPANISH CONQUEST AND, AT ITS CENTRE, THE CULTURE OF MODERN MEXICO.

GRZEGORZ KOWALSKI, THE POLISH SCULPTOR, HAS DESIGNED A PIECE OF SCULPTURE WHICH REPRESENTS THE STYLISED UNION OF THE HUTS IN AN INDIAN VILLAGE.

THE MEXICAN ARTIST VIEWS THE CONCEPT OF FRIENDSHIP IN THE FORM OF A BLACK-AND-WHITE MONUMENT, REPRESENTING A WORLD WITHOUT RACIAL PROBLEMS.

THE ITALIAN SCULPTOR MAKES USE OF A SYMBOLIC PIGEON, PAINTED WITH THE ITALIAN COLOURS, WHICH ARE THE SAME AS THOSE OF MEXICO.

SWITZERLAND'S WILLI GUFMAN, HAS CREATED A SCULPTURE SIMILAR TO A STYLIZED WATCH-GEAR.

CZECHOSLOVAK SCULPTOR MILOS CLUPAC HAS DESIGNED A KISS OF FRIENDSHIP.

KIASHI TAKAHASHI, OF JAPAN, HAS REPRESENTED FRIENDSHIP THROUGH PURE WHITE GLOBES.

AMONG THE MOST DISCUSSED OF THE WORKS OF ART IS THAT OF THE FRENCHMAN, OLIVIER SEGUIN, WHOSE WORK SYMBOLIZES PROCREATION AS THE PRINCIPLE OF LIFE AND FRIENDSHIP.

ALL OF THE SCULPTORS USED LOCAL MEXICAN LABOUR INSTEAD MECHANIZATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WORKS OF ART. AMONG THE MOST WIDELY-EMPLOYED RAW MATERIALS WERE CEMENT AND IRON.

MANY OF THE LOCAL INHABITANT OF THE AREA AROUND OLYMPIC VILLAGE HAVE FOUND THE SCULPTURE TO BE INCOMPREHENSIBLE, AND MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO BE BEWILDERED BY THE WORKS OF ART.