During the last few hours, social media has been flooded with almost surreal images showing an Olmec stone head sculpture crushing a Tesla car. The events took place in the Roma district of Mexico City.
The image of the luxury car, made by the company of magnate Elon Musk, has generated all kinds of reactions, from disbelief to fascination.
This unusual discovery is a work by the artist Chavis Marmol, part of the series titled “Neo-tameme.”
The piece is part of a series in which Chavis Marmol combines humor and critique to compel the viewer to explore Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past from a Western neocolonial perspective.
“This sculpture is composed of two elements: a replica of an Olmec head carved in quarry stone weighing approximately nine tons, and a Tesla Model 3 that was destroyed by the colossal weight of the head,” the artist explains on his Instagram account.
Who is Chavis Marmol?
Chavis Marmol is an artist originally from Apan, Hidalgo, who has managed to position himself in the Mexican art scene in less than a decade. Educated at the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo and the UNAM, his work is characterized by being complex, fun, and critical of the social, political, and economic context of our time.
Marmol uses satire and irony to address issues such as social inequality, violence, identity, and the history of Mexico. His works, which include painting, sculpture, drawing, and installation, invite the viewer to reflect on the reality that surrounds us.
The work “Neo-tameme” has generated debate about the relationship between the past and the present, as well as about the role of art in society.
Those interested in appreciating the Tesla crushed by the weight of the Olmec head can do so at the corner of Mérida and Colima streets. How much does the crushed Tesla cost?
It is a Tesla Model 3, whose price in Mexico, according to data from the Kavak platform, ranges from 768,999 pesos for a 2019 model to almost 920,000 pesos for a 2021 model.
The Model 3 is considered the most affordable car from the automotive company owned by Elon Musk.
Olmec head, protagonist
It is not the first time that an Olmec head has been part of the work of Chavis Marmol. His piece Mr. Olmec Head (2021) recreates the famous Mr. Potato Head toy.
“In this disassemblable toy-sculpture, Chavis Marmol combines, on one hand, the iconic American doll ‘Mr. Potato Head’, which originally consisted of separate plastic pieces (arms, legs, eyes, ears, nose, etc.) that were meant to be attached to potatoes or other vegetables, with, on the other hand, a colossal Olmec head; an archaeological vestige of one of the oldest civilizations in America and a modern symbol of Mexicanness. This irreverent and playful treatment of cultural emblems from different origins – which runs throughout his work – also implies a play and reflection around the complex stories and connotations these objects carry; in this case, among others, it questions the dichotomies between sacred and popular object, heritage and consumer object, noble material and disposable material, foreign culture and local culture”.
What is an Olmec head?
The Olmec heads are one of the most emblematic archaeological finds of Mesoamerica, representative of the Olmec culture, considered by many historians and archaeologists as the “mother culture” of Mesoamerican civilization.
These impressive stone sculptures, carved between 1400 and 900 B.C. approximately, are characterized by their large dimensions, some reaching up to 3 meters in height and weighing several tons.
Each Olmec head presents distinctive facial features, such as prominent cheeks, broad noses, thick lips, and often a helmet or headdress, suggesting deep symbolism or the representation of specific individuals, possibly rulers or authority figures within the Olmec society.
