The Veintinueve Trece Photography and Visual Arts Encounter closed its tenth edition with participation exceeding 600 attendees at the daily activities and gathering just over a thousand during the Saturday Photography Festival, held in El Almacén Square, one of the busiest moments. This encounter thus reaffirms its sustained growth and its function as a space for reflection on contemporary imagery in the Canary Islands.
For five consecutive days, the event brought together more than 115 people daily for its central activities, which consist of specialized workshops, conferences, screenings, and exhibitions.
Approximately 40% of attendees came from outside Lanzarote, which highlights the project's regional and national reach, as well as its capacity to generate a diverse community connected to the territory
This tenth edition, focused on reflecting on the counter-trend of the collective, featured the participation of 15 speakers, including visual artists, theorists, philosophers, and image professionals. Notable was the intervention of Itziar González Virós, who delivered a master lecture on "Social Architecture and Citizen Cooperation," managing to stir consciences and generate proposals. Equally relevant were the contributions of the philosopher and essayist Santiago Alba Rico, who participated in the debate following the screening of the film Of Gods and Men (Xavier Beauvois, 2010), in collaboration with Tenique Cultural.
The work narrates the community life of a group of Trappist monks in Algeria during the nineties. This is precisely the starting point for addressing communities of power versus communities of fragility that are forged in times of crisis to overcome difficult situations.
The collective as the axis
This year's conceptual axis addressed the collective dimension of the image as a response to contemporary individualism. Through discussion panels, workshops, screenings, and guided tours, experiences related to memory, territories, and ways of inhabiting were shared.
Veintinueve Trece has consolidated itself as a space for intergenerational encounters. Family activities, the art market, the giant camera, and educational processes are part of the continuous dialogue with participating professionals and the attending public.
It also has a technical and production team of more than 20 people, which, together with the participating speakers, brings the total to almost 40.
An event with intergenerational participation
The Photography Festival, open to all citizens, became a key moment of community celebration around visual culture.
The Encounter of Photography and Visual Arts is organized by the Cultural Association Veintinueve Trece and sponsored by the Cabildo de Lanzarote, the Ministry of Culture of Spain, the Department of Culture of the Arrecife City Council, and SPEL Turismo Lanzarote.