Mexico is so surreal that it becomes difficult to know if what we see is intentional or just the nature of our incredible country and its people. But on this occasion, the surprising scene was intentional and was made by a national artist.

A sculpture of an Olmec head crushing a Tesla in an alley of the Roma colony of Mexico City, caused furor and debates on social networks. Tesla cars have been seen in the streets of Mérida, Colima, CDMX and are an icon of technology, related to notions of development and this is in an aggressive contrast being crushed by a sculpture of an Olmec head representing one of the most important native cultures of our territory.

This installation was made by Chavis Mármol, an artist from the state of Hidalgo who seeks to remind us of the importance of cultural heritage and our roots through his work. This work might seem like a simple protest or a bad idea for the pocket, but art is in its ability to move us and ask us questions about how we feel about what we are seeing. Thanks to this work, there was definitely a fury in the debate about the importance we are giving to our heritage in the face of economic and technological development.

The promises of growth and the advances in those aspects sound very wonderful, but when we realize the reality is that, what we lose in return is usually part of our cultural identity.