Costa Rica‘s Artistic Heritage Under Attack: A History of Destruction
A wave of destruction continues to plague Costa Rica’s public art, echoing a troubling pattern of loss stretching back centuries. From a 19th-century fountain to a beloved modern sculpture, works by prominent Costa Rican artists are falling victim to apathy, ignorance, and even direct orders – raising questions about the nation’s commitment to preserving its cultural identity.
The destruction isn’t new. In 1975, a monumental work by José Sancho in la Chacarita, Puntarenas, was lost due to municipal neglect. More recently, in 2023, the Municipality of Heredia demolished a calicanto niche of the old Fountain of Neptune, originally built by Fadrique Gutiérrez in the 19th century, following an order from the National Institute of Learning.
The fragility of outdoor art is also a factor. murals by Francisco Munguía, painted with industrial materials on often-unprepared surfaces, suffer premature deterioration, as seen with his 2004 Carnival of the arts mural in the Calvo Cemetery. However,public institutions share responsibility for preservation.
Instances of accidental damage have sometimes been addressed. Following a 2018 car accident that partially destroyed Monument to Social Guarantees,the Ministry of Public Works commissioned a restoration by the Renoir company,with artist Olger Villegas intervening to save the work.
Yet, purposeful erasure continues.In 2018, murals by Spanish painter Monfort (with assistance from Manuel Argüello) were discovered hidden under layers of paint in the Immaculate Conception of Heredia church, victims of careless repainting. Most recently, in 2024, the sculpture Winged Cow by Ángel lara Vargas, located in front of the Children’s Hospital, was destroyed with tools – a demolition attributed to a contractor and his team. As one observer noted, echoing a classic Spanish play, “Who destroyed the work? Fuenteovejuna, sir. Who is Fuenteovejuna? All the people together.”
This pattern mirrors historical acts of destruction, such as the destruction of sculptures in 1878 in what was then Villa Vieja de la Concepción de Todos los Santos de cubujuquí, driven by fanaticism. Today, the motivation appears to be ignorance, but the result remains the same: a diminishing of Costa Rica’s artistic legacy.