Mexico City’s iconic Zócalo has become an unexpected garden where 200 cactus sculptures dominate the vast concrete square. The open-air exhibition, named “Nopalera en el corazón,” transforms the Plaza de la Constitución into a vibrant showcase where artists reimagine one of Mexico’s most recognizable symbols.
Time is running short to see this ambitious project. The exhibition closes February 8, giving visitors just days to experience what Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada calls “a garden of resistance, memory and contemplation.”
Each sculpture stands roughly six feet (two meters) tall, shaped like a nopal and customized by artists and collectives from across the capital. The designs range widely. Some reference prehispanic deities and the Mexica founding myth. Others incorporate modern elements like the Metro system, comic strips and social proclamations. Several feature abstract patterns or showcase flora and fauna like hummingbirds.
Artful Nopales Take Over Mexico City’s Main Plaza
The techniques vary just as much. Artists applied everything from screen printing and engraving to spray paint and sculptural additions. Walking through the exhibition feels less like viewing artwork than navigating a colorful forest that somehow sprouted overnight.
The project began modestly last June during the Feria del Nopal 2025 with 50 pieces at the Monument to the Revolution. From July through September, it appeared on Paseo de la Reforma, where it drew crowds before moving to the Zócalo in expanded form. The current version quadruples the original size.
According to the Mexico City Department of Culture, 113 sculptures were created by male artists, 67 by women, and 23 by collectives or duos. The expansion coincided with celebrations marking 700 years since the founding of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in 1325, when Mexica people settled in the Valley of Mexico after recognizing a divine sign: an eagle perched on a nopal cactus, devouring a serpent. That image appears on Mexico’s flag and remains central to national identity.
“This exposition is an artistic and political expression,” Brugada said at the January 9 opening. “This emblematic symbol of our country and our city speaks to our history, our resistance and how we see ourselves as a people.”
The Zócalo location carries particular weight. The vast square sits atop what was once the ceremonial center of Tenochtitlan. By placing the exhibition here, organizers connect contemporary artistic expression with ancient symbolism in the exact spot where the Mexica capital began.
Ana Francis López Bayghen Patiño, secretary of culture for Mexico City, emphasized the project’s community aspect. Artists worked in public spaces, particularly in the Guerrero neighborhood, where residents watched the creative process unfold. “Taking artistic practice out of the museum and bringing it to the street has a clear meaning,” she said.
After February 8, the sculptures won’t disappear. Officials plan to distribute them across the city at various landmarks before the 2026 World Cup, allowing neighborhoods beyond downtown to host pieces from the collection.
The exhibition includes programming beyond the static display. Free guided tours run regularly, including special nighttime walks called “Time and the Stars.” Cultural performances feature music, theater and presentations by nopal producers from Milpa Alta.
Getting there is straightforward. Metro Line 2 stops at Zócalo/Tenochtitlan station, which opens directly onto the plaza. Metrobús Line 4 has nearby stops. The location in the Centro Histórico means visitors can easily combine the exhibition with other downtown attractions.
At the opening, Brugada issued a challenge to artists: create a similar exhibition featuring ajolotes before Easter. She envisions the endangered salamander as another symbol of national identity and regeneration.
For now, the nopal sculptures remain, turning Mexico City’s largest public space into an unexpected celebration of identity, creativity and the cactus that defined a civilization’s destiny.
VISITING DETAILS
- On view through February 8, 2026
- Location: Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución), Centro Histórico
- Hours: Open 24/7 (outdoor exhibition)
- Admission: Free
- Metro: Zócalo/Tenochtitlan (Line 2)
- Activities: Free guided tours, cultural performances, artisan markets