The exhibition “Corrupt White”, by the artist from Gran Canaria, Acaymo S. Cuesta, can be visited from last Friday, March 18, in the El Cubo room of the CIC El Almacén.
From the Cabildo of Lanzarote they explain that “Corrupt White” is curated by the art critic and curator Dennys Matos, and its discourse articulates “a reflection on the phenomenon of corruption, with the focus on the particular case of Lanzarote”. Through wall works, installation and video, made between 2021 and 2022, Acaymo S. Cuesta investigates and reflects on the intricacies that have marked urban corruption in Lanzarote, associated fundamentally “to the construction, tourism and entertainment industry”.
The Corporation points out that the history of Lanzarote and the Canary Islands has been linked to these industries “on the material, social and cultural level of the last 30 years”, and works present in the exhibition, such as “Geometry of corruption” or “Power corrupts”, “focus from different angles the effects and consequences of this corruption in these sectors”.
“Corrupt White” is a project that Acaymo S. Cuesta develops from the “César Manrique artistic research and creation projects” grant, which the Government of the Canary Islands granted to the artist in 2020. Cuesta is inspired precisely by Manrique, whose ideas opened a horizon of expectation of progress, claiming “the uniqueness of the island landscape”.
The “social activism against urban degradation” and the “gentrification of the Lanzarote landscape of the universal artist from Lanzarote” serve the creator from Gran Canaria to capture his plastic and poetic universe, which goes “from neo-figuration, through geometric abstraction, to neo-conceptual practices”.
“Corrupt White is a project that aims to give a geometric aesthetic formalization of what would be the cases of urban corruption on the island of Lanzarote”, said the Canarian artist himself. “It aims to show how what was that Manrique aesthetic was completely perverted, copying that formula and perverting it to industrialize it and to be able to exploit it at a tourist level”, he added.
“The exhibition reflects the deformation of an idea that César Manrique had, an icon of Lanzarote's popular culture, in the sense that he is the symbol of activism against that degeneration of Lanzarote's vernacular architecture and that Acaymo rescues through César Manrique's ideology regarding the relationship between art, nature and society”, said the exhibition's curator, Dennys Matos, for his part.
The Minister of Culture of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Alberto Aguiar, declared that in this exhibition the artist from Gran Canaria, Acaymo S. Cuesta “makes us reflect on urban corruption on the island of Lanzarote”. “I encourage the entire population of the island to come and see it, as well as the numerous parallel activities associated with it, among which a debate table on corruption stands out. By the way, so that citizens can enjoy the rest of the exhibition projects that we have at the CIC El Almacén”, he pointed out.
The exhibition can be visited during the usual hours of the CIC El Almacén, that is, from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The exhibition will remain open until May 21 and admission is free, although capacity is limited and anti-Covid security measures are applied, such as the use of masks, maintaining a safe distance, hand hygiene upon entering, etc.
On the other hand, the Cabildo points out that among the parallel activities planned are the guided tours, led by the historian Estefanía Camejo, which are scheduled to take place on March 22 at 6:00 p.m., April 9 at 12:00 p.m., April 19 at 6:00 p.m., April 30 at 12:00 p.m. and May 14 at 12:00 p.m.
In addition, the Corporation points out that on April 8 it is planned to hold “a round table on urban corruption”, in which the lawyer Irma Ferrer and the architect Noemí Tejera will participate, with the journalist Saúl García being in charge of moderating it. This act will be in the Buñuel Cinema Room of the CIC El Almacén from 7:30 p.m.
Both to access the guided tours and to attend the round table it is necessary to reserve a place in advance, by calling 928 831 507.
