Los Trompos

Los Trompos, or ‘the spinning tops,’ will be showcased on the park’s Sarofim Picnic Lawn from November 14, 2015 – March 22, 2016. The colorful, large-scale, temporary installation, which take their form from the common toy, will delight park visitors of all ages. 

Arts organizations and individual performers will present dance, spoken word, theatrical and musical performances at Los Trompos beginning in December. Please check back for a complete list of events later this season.

Los Trompos draws inspiration from spinning tops, the internationally popular children’s toy. Twenty 3D structures will feature a variety of colors and shapes, creating a vibrant sea of movement. The tops will only spin when manipulated by two or more people, fostering an engaging connection. 

The tops in Los Trompos are all woven in a traditional style used by Mexican artists and will be assembled on site. Each top has a unique shape inspired by nature and traditional Latin American design, architecture and folk art.

 

Esrawe and Cadena work together at their interdisciplinary design firm E+C® in Mexico City and have participated individually and together in various projects around the U. S. and Mexico.Los Trompos was created by the designers during their residency at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. Upon invitation from Discovery Green Conservancy, Esrawe and Cadena visited the park and selected the Sarofim Picnic Lawn to develop this unique site specific presentation ofLos Trompos for its second iteration. 

 

“The concept behind Los Trompos is based on traditional toys, their colorful expression and the way they are constructed.” said Esrawe. “We like the idea of translating these techniques into new symbols used to create an interactive piece that is part installation, part furniture and part playground, a place where human connections are made. Los Trompos is a place of color and joy!”

 

Esrawe and Cadena’s installation is the second selected by the Conservancy’s recently-established Public Art Committee, chaired by Judy Nyquist and comprised of community experts dedicated to bringing the best international art to Discovery Green. Chosen for their creative and colorful designs, Esrawe and Cadena also shares the park’s commitment to connecting the community through art.

 

Discovery Green visitors can also enjoy the park’s iconic public art pieces year-round: Jim Dine’s The House (Heart), Jean Dubuffet’s Monument Au Fantome, Margo Sawyer’sSynchronicity of Color and the Mist Tree and Listening Vessels by Doug Hollis. Returning to Discovery Green November 24, 2015 – February 21, 2016 for the second and final year is Bruce Munro’s popular Field of Light.