The restoration works of the mural paintings by César Manrique in the Casa de la Cultura Agustín de la Hoz have already finished. A "very meticulous" process, according to the director of Cúrcuma Restauración, Fernanda Guitián Garré, in charge of carrying out the recovery works.
With an investment of 26,560 euros, the works have allowed to recover some paintings buried for more than 40 years, which were part of a composition of four murals, of which two have been definitively lost. These are scenes that represent one of the painter's first concerns for modernity, where flat colors predominate to the detriment of the three-dimensionality of the scene, but which, on the other hand, seeks infinite perspectives in the landscape backgrounds of island memories.
The works have consisted of the elimination of the superimposed layers until discovering the original remains and in the consolidation of the pictorial layer. The consolidation of the original mortars of lime and volcanic sand, common in the construction of houses on the island, has also been important. Finally, the paintings have been cleaned and chromatically integrated.
"These murals will give more category and quality to this space, said the mayor of the Arrecife City Council, Cándido Reguera, who pointed out that it is one more addition to "open Arrecife to tourism".
Rehabilitation of the building
The Casa de la Cultura Agustín de la Hoz dates from the 19th century and has two floors with a central wooden staircase made by the master carpenter Saavedra in that century. During the 20th century it was the headquarters of the Casino de Arrecife, being then remodeled and converted into a Town Hall. It was in this building where Manrique made his first paintings, which date from 1947.
Now, within the City Council's budgets for this year, the completion of the building's rehabilitation works is planned, which will have an execution period of about six months from the approval of the construction project, as confirmed by the mayor of Arrecife himself. The works will consist of the installation of an elevator and the rehabilitation of the facade and the roof.
The Councilor for Culture of the Arrecife City Council, Lorenzo Lemaur, has stated that "it will be a space for culture".
