The S.C.R.D. Torrelavega, on the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the birth of César Manrique, celebrated last Thursday night a Talk Colloquium: César Manrique: Alive, Art and Commitment to Nature, given by Dr. Violeta Izquierdo Expósito, tenured professor at the Complutense University of Madrid in the Department of Journalism and Global Communication of the Faculty of Information Sciences.
The event, which began at 8:00 p.m. with welcoming words from the president of S.C.R.D. Torrelavega, Toñín Ramos, gave way to Alberto Hugo Rojas, a graphic reporter who has traveled the world for more than 20 years reflecting the reality of people suffering in armed conflicts and who on this occasion was in charge of illustrating with his photos the book César Manrique - Total Art, by Violeta Izquierdo.
Rojas explained how the extensive full-color report that illustrates the book was carried out, attending to the request of Violeta Izquierdo, both giving their approval to the magnificent report. Next, Violeta Izquierdo, an expert on Manrique's work, began by making an extensive tour from his early years, from his birth in 1919 to his initiation into painting in 1939, remaining in Madrid until 1965, where a series of personal and professional circumstances led to a change of environment and perspectives after the death of Pepi in 1963, the woman with whom he had shared his life almost since his arrival in Madrid.
Manrique chooses the option of moving to New York where he follows the trends of contemporary art although he remained connected to his island Lanzarote until in 1968 he decides to return when he realizes the constructions and concrete blocks that did not fit within the landscape of the island. It was then that he made the decision to stay in Lanzarote and it was from that moment that the Manrique era began with the beginning of what we currently know as Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism.
César Manrique was an artist who sought the architectural union with the landscape while defending the landscape itself. Among Manrique's works is the Museum of Contemporary Art, installed in the Castle of San José, becoming in those years the first in Spain. Manrique also left the mark of his works on other islands of the Canary Islands and in the city of Ceuta where he performed his military service.
Violeta Izquierdo's Talk Colloquium was followed with great interest by the audience who at the end were encouraged to ask some questions all related to Manrique's works. Violeta ended her speech by calling for the recovery of a mural that César Manrique made in 1954 in the street of Santa Cruz de Marcenado, in Madrid, located between the Princesa building and the Casa de Canarias and currently the work is eaten away by dirt and the passage of time, a work that needs to be preserved as part of his legacy.
At the end of the Talk Colloquium, Alberto Hugo Rojas presented the speaker Violeta Izquierdo and Toñín Ramos with a photograph of César Manrique and in turn, the Torrelavega board presented Alberto Hugo Rojas and Violeta Izquierdo with a sculpture designed by César Manrique.