The criticisms from the Canarian Coalition regarding the decision of the new government group of the Cabildo to remove the equestrian sculptures by Jason deCaires have given way to a campaign on social networks, where, among other things, gatherings are being called to request that these horses be maintained, for which deCaires intended to charge the Tourist Centers 200,000 euros.
However, the two held so far have not managed to gather more than eight people.
The first took place this weekend next to the Castle of San José, where the controversial sculptures are installed, and among the seven attendees was the former councilor of the Tourist Centers, José Juan Lorenzo. "Few but good," commented the person who shared the photo on the page they have created on Facebook, under the name "On foot for the horses!" and with a presentation text written in German.
In addition, a second gathering was held this Monday in front of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, which only brought together eight people, most of them foreigners. "Leave the horses", "let them stay", "let them leave us the horses, we have paid for them with our taxes", could be read on the signs and t-shirts they were wearing, and of which they have also uploaded images to Facebook.
DeCaires claims he has been "blasphemed"
Jason deCaires himself has written a message on that page in which he thanks these people who support him and assures that there is "misinformation". "Since I started my works in Lanzarote, they have always been kidnapped for political purposes. I have been called many things and blasphemed many times," he says, expressly mentioning this medium, although without denying any of the information that has been published.
Among other things, La Voz made public that when deCaires tried to get the Centers to buy those sculptures for 200,000 euros, he had not sold a single work in the art market, as indicated in the report commissioned in its day by the Canarian Coalition to carry out an economic valuation of that work. "I have no financial or political interests in 'The Rising Tide' at the MIAC," he adds, however, deCaires.
In addition, he defends that he is "an artist who works on projects around the world and only concerned about the marine environment and the realization of meaningful art", despite the fact that in Lanzarote he promoted the underwater museum in front of Marina Rubicón and worked in two workshops paid for with public money in that illegal marina.
Looking for a real horse for the gatherings
In addition to announcing these gatherings, the Facebook page has also asked for ideas for "slogans for posters" and even real horses. "Does anyone have a calm horse to take to the gatherings? It's about attracting attention, that the press attends and that images are spread about what is intended," they published in a post, which seems to have not yet yielded results.
In parallel, they have also started a collection of signatures on Change.org, which in this case has already exceeded 1,300, including those of members of the Canarian Coalition. One of them is that of the former president of the Cabildo, Pedro San Ginés, under whose mandate these sculptures were installed without having previously taken the issue to the Board of Directors of the Centers, without a single written technical proposal to support that decision and without having a report from the PIOT Office, which Heritage had warned was necessary.
"The Rising Tide sculptures installed in the port of Arrecife are of great artistic and conceptual value, the inhabitants of Lanzarote want them to stay, as the current Cabildo intends to remove them without any valid reason. An attack on art and on top of that an absurd cost for the citizens," they point out in the text with which the collection of signatures began.
"Temporary" installation and "free transfer" for 15,000 euros
It should be remembered that the installation of these sculptures was already announced in its day as something "temporary". Later, when he had already installed them, the Canarian Coalition brought a proposal to the Board of Directors of the Centers to buy them for 200,000 euros, but finally the controversy raised and the rejection of all the opposition parties meant that this possibility was discarded. Then they opted for a supposed "free transfer", for which the Centers paid 15,000 euros to deCaires in concept of "materials" and "assembly" of these sculptures, which are a replica of others he made for an exhibition in London. However, although that transfer was for 10 years, the truth is that not even the authorization from Ports was for that period, but for only one year with the possibility of renewal.
Just before having to leave the position at the head of the Centers and when the Canarian Coalition had already lost the elections, José Juan Lorenzo tried to make that authorization definitive, raising a new request to the Port Authority that was rejected. "It is not possible to access the concession request, because it is planned that this area will be used for mooring boats," responded the director of Ports, who only offered a new concession "on a precarious basis for a period of one year", which could stop being extended at any time.