The Jacobo and María Ángeles Workshop created two “Guardians” to inhabit New York City from October 22 to November 3, 2021, at the event “Mexico Week: Day of the Dead at Rockefeller Center,” with the mission of accompanying and protecting all Latin American, Mexican, and Oaxacan migrants who live or are about to arrive in the United States in search of a better future for their people.

As their name indicates, our guardians safeguard the life and cultural identity of this community; they are also responsible for the care, transport, and defense of the warriors, warrior women, tonas, and guides of their tribe. These two monumental figures are part of the story presented in “Nomads,” a narrative about resistance, persecution, and migration in a dystopian future, where science merges with ancestral worldviews, including the Zapotec.

On this occasion, two monumental pieces were exhibited. One of them consists of the fusion of Eagle – Iguana, which signifies visual power, fertility, and fecundity, and the other is a fusion of Jaguar – Eagle, which symbolizes leadership and visual power. These pieces feature a new iconography that departs from any other proposal previously seen from the Jacobo and María Ángeles workshop. These symbols respond to new conditions and communicative needs.

Thus, The Guardians, presented at the entrance of the iconic Rockefeller Center in New York City, set a standard for us in our work, as it reflects a whole process carried out with great effort over the past 27 years. It is also a demonstration of the artistic and hardworking spirit that emanates from our town, San Martín Tilcajete.

The estimated production time for these pieces was a total of 6 months, during which hand sketches were developed, 3D modeling was done, the scale model was carved, the pieces were made from fiberglass, the preparation of thefirst, the decoration, and the automotive varnish that seals this magnificent work. This great achievement, completed in record time, was made possible thanks to the efforts of 29 collaborators who put all their love and dedication into the creation of these pieces. We thank the invitation from the Secretary of Culture and the Government of Oaxaca, which took care of the project's logistical management.