‘Wings of the City’ sculptures come to Santa Ana, evoking connections to Mexico

It’s time to spread your wings.

Not in a literal sense. Figuratively, of course. And with help from accomplished Mexican artist Jorge Marín.

Starting Oct. 27, the city of Santa Ana, partnering with the Consulate of Mexico, is presenting a free outdoor exhibition of nine bronze sculptures by Marín, one of Mexico’s best-known contemporary figurative artists.

The bronze sculptures will be placed in various locations around downtown Santa Ana, including the Artists Village, Plaza Calle Cuatro and the East End.

The exhibit will kick off with a free public celebration at Plaza Calle Cuatro (325 E. 4th St., Santa Ana) on Oct. 27 from 5 to 9 p.m. The event will include commemorations by Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, the consul of Mexico in Orange County and a representative from Studio Marín, as well as performances by local mariachi and folklórico students. Music by Downtown Inc. (DTI) will finish off the night.

“I see this as an international exhibit,” Pulido said in an interview. “It’s coming from Mexico City, but it’s really international. I see the wings as a part of the angels, los angeles, from el Paseo de la Reforma (a famous street in Mexico City). So much of the heart and the history of Mexico is there, and to bring it here to Santa Ana, Orange County, California, it’s a big deal.”

The bird-masked bronze sculpture “Split Monumental” is one of nine artworks by Mexican figurative artist Jorge Marín that will be part of a public art installation, “Wings of the City,” in downtown Santa Ana.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

Organizers are promoting the “Wings of the City” exhibit as symbolic of the connections between Santa Ana and Mexico.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Ana’s population is 78.2 percent Hispanic or Latino, with 71 percent of Santa Ana calling itself Mexican. City officials often state that Santa Ana is home to the largest concentration of Mexicans outside of Mexico, although evidence of that is difficult to verify.

“We want to create awareness, especially for the younger generations,” Pulido said. “There are a lot of Hispanics here whose parents or grandparents came from Mexico. This is an opportunity for that community to reconnect, if you will. I think it’s a very important facet that we don’t often think about.”

Project organizer Jorge Garcia said the Mexican Consulate proposed the exhibit to Santa Ana about one and a half years ago. Even though the city of Anaheim showcased the same exhibit of nine Marín sculptures from July through September of this year, Santa Ana’s presentation has different objectives, Garcia said.

“We wanted it to be more of a community display,” said Garcia, who also is assistant to the city manager. “We wanted this to be a different experience — an interactive process, and not just stagnant art.”

Garcia said the city’s recent commitments to immigrants — legal and otherwise — and so-called Dreamers also play a factor in the display.

While the run in Anaheim and other cities was for three months, the sculptures will be on view in Santa Ana for one full year.

The nine bronze sculptures pay homage to classic Baroque and Renaissance figures with surreal twists, including men sporting dream-like wings, wearing bird masks and taking on acrobatic poses. One bronze, “Abrazo Monumental” (2006), depicts a man embracing a woman.

“In this selection, I want to show all the human emotions, such as happiness, fear and frustration,” Marín said with the help of a translator. “My sculptures are like a mirror to the public, where they can see themselves, they can see their own fantasies and their own fears. Through sculpture, we don’t need a language.”

The collection debuted with 12 sculptures in 2010 as a public art exhibit on Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma. Since 2013, the sculptures have traveled to cities across the country and the world. In Anaheim, they were on view in front of the Convention Center along the Palm Court walkway.

One of the pieces, titled “Wings of Mexico,” consists of two large, outstretched wings and a frame. The artist invites viewers to stand on a pedestal and pose for photos in between the wings.

“The wings represent for me the potential to motivate, to provoke different sensations for the human being,” Marín said. “Wings give them that power of questioning. This is for the public to look at, and grab a microphone. I want to encourage freedom, so that they can speak.”

If You Go

What: ‘Wings of the City’ outdoor sculpture exhibition

When: Through Oct. 2018; opening celebration is 5-9 p.m. Oct. 27

Where: Sculptures are placed throughout downtown Santa Ana; celebration is at Plaza Calle Cuatro, 325 E. 4th St., Santa Ana

Cost: Free

Information: A map of sculpture locations, a walking tour in English, Spanish and Vietnamese and additional information can be found at santa-ana.org/wingsdtsa

RICHARD CHANG is a contributor to Times Community News.