El Monumento al Volador (Monument to Flying)

A gargantuan statue, depicting a musician in traditional garb, his back arched in the passion of song, his flute tilted high in the air, and his very spirit seeming to stretch into the sky above.

It may not sound like the most obvious depiction of a “Monument to Flying,” but after one look at this artful spire in Veracruz-Llave, Mexico, the sense of soaring passion it evokes is undeniable. And thus the obvious is forgotten, and the emotion of the message is all that remains, and it’s exactly right.