Review | A Portrait of Tenochtitlan by Thomas Kole
My latest online exhibit adventure was visiting A Portrait of Tenochtitlan by Dutch technical artist Thomas Kole. Debuting a few months ago in September 2023, this blend of digital models and modern drone photography taken by Andrés Semo Garcia allows visitors to better understand the early 16th century layout of what is now Ciudad de México [Mexico City]. Translations of the informational signage into Spanish and Nahuatl provided by Rodrigo Ortega Acoltzi add authenticity to the project.
Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Mexica empire, a people also known as the Aztecs. Located inside the salty sea that once flooded the Basin of Mexico, the metropolis merged with its twin city, Tlateloco, to become a major place of trade. At its height, the population of Tenochtilan reached 200,000 people, about the size of the nearest city to me, Worcester, MA. As for the entire Triple Alliance [Triple Alianza, Excan Tlahtoloyan] formed with the city-states of Tlacopan and Tetzcoco, the population paying tribute has been estimated at about 5,000,000 people in 1518. The empire was roughly the size of modern day Ireland, Costa Rica, or New Zealand.
A grid system similar to urban planning in Ancient Rome and the American Midwest kept the canals neat and orderly, unlike the silly roads through Boston. The city would have been easy to navigate by foot or by boat. The extensive waterways through the city reminded me of the architecture found in Amsterdam and Venice. Neighborhoods had community centers, while the city center had a major temple called Templo Mayor by the Spanish, the palace of the emperor Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, public gardens, and a zoo. To grow dietary stables like corn, beans, squash, and peppers, Mexica farmers created chinampas or farmland by adding fill to parts of the lake surrounding the island city.
The city is famously 2,000m (6600 feet) above sea level with snow at the tops of the mountains. A pair of volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, still stand around the rim of the basin, although In the drone photographs, the mountains were less visible due to the smog over the city. Maybe the municipal government should take inspiration from the Mexica New Fire Ceremony, where all fires were extinguished and relit in a 52-year cycle. The ceremony was last held in 1507, as the Spanish invaded in 1518. While nine ceremonies have been skipped, sparing the city from human sacrifice, the tenth is coming up in 2027 and could be an opportunity to turn off lights and take a day off from motorized transportation, excepting emergencies.
I appreciated the technical explanation on the creation of the project, which appeared at the bottom of the single-scroll page. Kole used 3D software Blender, photo editor Gimp, and lightroom editor Darktable to create his reconstruction. A long list of helpers showed how many people contributed during the eighteen month project. The materials on the site are under CC by 4.0 copyright, meaning that they can be freely distributed in a non-commercial setting with proper attribution. This makes the project perfect to share in classrooms.
Overall, A Portrait of Tenochtitlan was a remarkable and brilliantly executed endevor blending history, architecture, and modern technology. The text was easy to read with high contrast and large fonts. Unfortunately, most of the images did not have alt text, and the “Get image description” feature did not work in either Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers, so users relying on screen readers to enjoy the exhibit would not get as much out of it. The experience is a must-see for anyone interested in infrastructure or Aztec history.
Abby Epplett’s Rating System
Experience: 9/10
Accessibility: 5/10