Light Between the Islands background by Grimanesa Amoros
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HUANCHACO

Grimanesa Amorós HUANCHACO, 13 x 15 x 17-foot public art LED sculpture and light sculpture installed inside La Torre de los Vientos, Ruta de la Amistad, Mexico City, 2012. LED light structures woven inside the 40-foot concrete Wind Tower cast an intense play of light and shadow on its tilted surfaces through metal domes, creating an immersive experience that inspires reflection on modern technology and architectural landmarks. Sponsored by Patronato Ruta de la Amistad A.C., Conaculta, World Monuments Fund, and Nina Menocal Gallery. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós HUANCHACO, 13 x 15 x 17-foot public art LED sculpture and light sculpture installed inside La Torre de los Vientos, Ruta de la Amistad, Mexico City, 2012. LED light structures woven inside the 40-foot concrete Wind Tower cast an intense play of light and shadow on its tilted surfaces through metal domes, creating an immersive experience that inspires reflection on modern technology and architectural landmarks. Sponsored by Patronato Ruta de la Amistad A.C., Conaculta, World Monuments Fund, and Nina Menocal Gallery. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós HUANCHACO, 13 x 15 x 17-foot public art LED sculpture and light sculpture installed inside La Torre de los Vientos, Ruta de la Amistad, Mexico City, 2012. LED light structures woven inside the 40-foot concrete Wind Tower cast an intense play of light and shadow on its tilted surfaces through metal domes, creating an immersive experience that inspires reflection on modern technology and architectural landmarks. Sponsored by Patronato Ruta de la Amistad A.C., Conaculta, World Monuments Fund, and Nina Menocal Gallery. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós HUANCHACO, 13 x 15 x 17-foot public art LED sculpture and light sculpture installed inside La Torre de los Vientos, Ruta de la Amistad, Mexico City, 2012. LED light structures woven inside the 40-foot concrete Wind Tower cast an intense play of light and shadow on its tilted surfaces through metal domes, creating an immersive experience that inspires reflection on modern technology and architectural landmarks. Sponsored by Patronato Ruta de la Amistad A.C., Conaculta, World Monuments Fund, and Nina Menocal Gallery. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós HUANCHACO, 13 x 15 x 17-foot public art LED sculpture and light sculpture installed inside La Torre de los Vientos, Ruta de la Amistad, Mexico City, 2012. LED light structures woven inside the 40-foot concrete Wind Tower cast an intense play of light and shadow on its tilted surfaces through metal domes, creating an immersive experience that inspires reflection on modern technology and architectural landmarks. Sponsored by Patronato Ruta de la Amistad A.C., Conaculta, World Monuments Fund, and Nina Menocal Gallery. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós HUANCHACO, 13 x 15 x 17-foot public art LED sculpture and light sculpture installed inside La Torre de los Vientos, Ruta de la Amistad, Mexico City, 2012. LED light structures woven inside the 40-foot concrete Wind Tower cast an intense play of light and shadow on its tilted surfaces through metal domes, creating an immersive experience that inspires reflection on modern technology and architectural landmarks. Sponsored by Patronato Ruta de la Amistad A.C., Conaculta, World Monuments Fund, and Nina Menocal Gallery. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amoros video thumbnail for HUANCHACO

Location: Ruta de la Amistad (Route of Friendship). Mexico City, Mexico, 2012
15 ft x 13 ft x 17 ft (4.57 m x 3.96 m x 5.18 m)
Stainless steel, diffusion material and reflective material, LEDs, custom lighting sequence, and electrical hardware.

HUANCHACO is a light sculpture installation embedded within La Torre de los Vientos, a historic concrete structure along Mexico City’s Ruta de la Amistad, where illumination becomes a catalyst for spatial and perceptual transformation. The work situates light as an architectural presence, shaping an encounter between contemporary technology and cultural memory.

  • Named after a fishing village in northern Peru, HUANCHACO draws on geographic and cultural references within the context of the Route of Friendship, extending the site’s legacy of international exchange through a contemporary light-based intervention.
  • Installed inside the forty-foot Wind Tower, the work integrates LED structures within the existing architecture, establishing a dialogue between the sculpture’s modern materials and the monument’s mid-century concrete form.
  • Light emanating from metal domes casts shifting patterns across the tower’s sloped interior surfaces, producing an immersive environment that heightens awareness of space, scale, and bodily presence.
  • The project reflects Grimanesa Amorós’s ongoing exploration of light as a transformative medium, using illumination to reconsider the relationship between architectural landmarks and evolving technologies.
  • Realized with support from Patronato Ruta de la Amistad A.C., CONACULTA, the World Monuments Fund, and Nina Menocal Gallery, HUANCHACO aligns with broader efforts to preserve cultural heritage while activating historic sites through contemporary art.

    • Named after a quaint fishing village in northern Peru, HUANCHACO finds its place within La Torre de los Vientos (The Wind Tower), a remarkable 40-foot existing concrete sculpture crafted as part of the sculptural complex known as the “Ruta de la Amistad” (Route of Friendship). This installation of LED lights structures are harmoniously woven inside The Wind Tower, establishing a profound connection with the outside world and inspiring reflection on our relationship with modern technology and architectural landmarks.

    The sheltered atmosphere within the Wind Tower’s sloping walls is illuminated by HUANCHACO’s intricate lighting emanating from metal domes and casting an intense play of light and shadow on the tilted surfaces. By transporting spectators into the installation’s very fabric, HUANCHACO offers an immersive experience that engages the audience within its senses and sparks contemplation of the tower’s significance.

    HUANCHACO stands as a testament to the transformative power of light and art, made possible through the collaborative efforts and sponsored by the Patronato Ruta de la Amistad A.C., Conaculta,World Monuments Fund, and the Nina Menocal Gallery. HUANCHACO exemplifies the harmony of contemporary innovation and cultural heritage a testament to the transformative power of light and art.

    The World Monuments Fund is one of the leading organizations working to preserve architectural and cultural heritage sites around the world.