Esrawe + Cadena in collaboration with Creos have presented "Los Trompos" in Woodruff Park as part of the Art in the Park program. (All images courtesy of Esrawe + Cadena)

Portfolio: The Engineering and Artistic Magic Behind ‘Los Trompos’

ArtsATL staff

November 26, 2024

Los Trompos, the immersive and whimsical installation in Woodruff Park, isn’t just dazzling to the eyes; it’s the result of many stages of exacting technical work.

Starting in early November, a series of colorful, human-scale, toy-like contraptions appeared throughout Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta. These are Los Trompos, an art installation by Mexican art and design team Esrawe + Cadena in collaboration with Creos, a Quebec-based business that produces interactive public installations around the world.

Los Trompos (“Spinning Tops”) are based on a traditional Mexican toy and offer visitors the opportunity to play on, sit in, spin around or merely contemplate the beautiful objects in an urban setting.

Los Trompos is one of several entries scheduled in Art in the Park, a year of immersive art installed downtown, designed to enliven the public space. The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and Arts & Entertainment Atlanta are at the helm of the project, which features a mix of local and international artists.

Cadena Concepts has collaborated with furniture and architectural designer Héctor Esrawe for 25 years, and Los Trompos alone has traveled to 17 destinations throughout Europe and the United States, including the High Museum in 2015.

Here they share many of the sketches, drawings and plans required to pull off such an engineering and artistic challenge. Los Trompos will be installed through November 30.