A giant La Catrina sculpture became the centerpiece of Mexico City’s recent Day of the Dead celebrations, standing more than 109 feet tall in the Zócalo and setting a new world record, according to Guinness World Records. The figure, dressed in a long purple gown, is roughly as tall as an 11-story building.
The installation surpassed the previous record: a 92-foot figure built in Puerto Vallarta in 2023. More than 140 people from the Xibalbá art workshop, led by director Carlos Camilo Báez, worked on the project. They used steel, fiberglass and papier-mâché to construct the skeleton and its 88-foot-long dress.
The sculpture stood beside a large ofrenda, or memorial altar, featuring an estimated 70,000 marigold plants grown in Mexico City’s Xochimilco borough. The temporary display was initially due to remain through November 2, but Mayor Clara Brugada announced on social media that it would stay on view through November 11.
Día de los Muertos is observed primarily in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Families honor deceased loved ones with altars decorated with photographs, candles, marigolds, food and other meaningful objects, and gather at cemeteries to remember them.
La Catrina’s roots lie in the work of Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, who created the figure as one of his satirical calaveras, or skeletons. First known as Calavera Garbancera, she appeared in 1912 in prints sold in Mexico City. The character gained wider recognition decades later after artists including Diego Rivera rediscovered Posada’s work.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine.