A large, illuminated red cross stands out against the dark sky at night. A red light shines on a stage illuminated by several lights. A large red sculpture with several people standing around it, admiring the artwork in a public space.
  • Descripción
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Created by Bogotá artist Carlos Castro Arias and inaugurated in February 2026, the large-scale, red cross-shaped sculpture is an act of gratitude. This sculpture symbolizes the transition that marked an entire generation: the passage through uncertainty, pain, and, finally, hope, following the COVID-19 pandemic.

This monument, over 11 meters high, 7 meters wide, and composed of a three-ton stone, is located on the Virgilio Barco Library campus and is part of the Simón Bolívar Park Cultural Center as a permanent legacy of the BOG25 International Art and City Biennial.

This sculpture pays tribute to the medical personnel who faced the pandemic, symbolizing a passage between life and death. The piece was chosen to pay a heartfelt tribute to the medical personnel who lost their lives during the years of the outbreak. It is a work that evokes the emotional burden carried by those who had to care for and save lives.

This initiative of the National Academy of Medicine and the Mayor's Office of Bogotá, through the Secretariat of Culture, Recreation and Sports (SDCRD), began in 2025 with the donation campaign 'The Art of Giving Thanks,' and is made possible thanks to various allies and partners in the public and private sectors.

Umbral is a symbol of a city that remembers the importance of empathy, solidarity, and resilience in times of crisis, and reaffirms its commitment to the health sector. Walking through the artwork is to cross a symbolic border between memory and the present.

📍 Instrucciones de llegada

Near the Virgilio Barco Library. If you're taking the TransMilenio, you can get off at the Salitre station and walk about 15 minutes. If you're taking the SITP bus, you can get off at the stop named after the library.