A total of 9,032 people visited the Universo Manrique exhibition in its first month of display at the Atlantic Center of Modern Art (CAAM), from March 28 to April 28, a record with which this art center of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria manages to break an influx of public during the first weeks of a show. This exhibition dedicated to César Manrique is the backbone of the CAAM's 30th-anniversary program and also coincides with the centenary of the Canarian artist's birth.
Curated by Swiss historian Katrin Steffen, the exhibition addresses the multiple spaces of creation developed throughout his life by the artist from Lanzarote, who was not only a qualified professional painter, sculptor, designer, landscaper or self-taught architect, but also stood out as a mediator, entrepreneur, educator and environmental activist.
The exhibition brings together a wide selection of some 200 works by Manrique, including paintings, sketches, drawings, collages and sculptures, as well as his designs, works as an interior designer, mural paintings, architectural interventions or his homes. It also incorporates photographs and documents from various archives that represent the context of his creative world.
In the words of its curator, the exhibition is an invitation to participate in the broad creative cosmos of this total artist and is part of a framework of thought guided by his fascination with the natural beauty of Lanzarote, the need to show it to the world and the unavoidable obligation to preserve it for future generations.
The Universo Manrique exhibition is spread over the four floors, attic and facade of the CAAM and can be visited until September 29, during the center's usual hours, from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sundays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with free admission.
