I just have to tell about Cesar Manrique. Because on Lanzarote he is simply everywhere. Cesar Manrique is an artist, a sculptor, architect and many many more of the artistic inclinations. Of course he was born on Lanzarote, otherwise why mentioned? He studied in the Art Academy in Madrid and became recognised and as it often happens, got to travel the world, lived in New York, blah blah blah…in 60ies he returned to Lanzarote and became the Man Who Changed The Island’s Future.
I won’t go into details of his life. If anyone interested, google is your best friend (lazy ones can check out this link)
Basically because he was rich by that time and he had many influential friends, he promoted Lanzarote into UNESCO protected zone and introduced quite a few laws on the island, mainly related to the way how Lanzarote should look. And this is the main reason why Lanzarote looks as it does. In general terms – there are no high rise buildings on the island. Well, the only ones are those built before the new planning regulations came to life. Truth to be told, the island does look very special indeed. Besides the architecture, Manrique decorated Lanzarote and all the neighbouring islands with his sculptures and wind toys – mind puzzling mobiles that you can find in various places throughout the island.
Personally, his sculptures and paintings do nothing to me. I’m not exactly a big fun of the uber modern art forms, like water barrels or metal and plastic rubbish…I appreciate the fact that he became famous because of these works. But it is his works as architect, designer, decorator that I really liked very much. His style can be called “nature-art/art-nature”. It is mainly about merging these two together, which produces marvellous effects.
So Manrique influenced how Lanzarote looks and Manrique created few places that are now rated as top tourist attractions. And they even dedicate the whole day of the excursion to Manrique works.
Monumento El Campesino
In plain English – the Monument to the Farmer. Stands in the geographical centre of Lanzarote and as you can guess, celebrates the hardship of a farmer. The monument symbolises the farmer himself and his three best helpers: a goat, a dog and a camel. Symbolises would be the best word to describe the monument, as one has to have imagination to see the farmer and his flock in the collection of the water tanks and cubes painted white and stacked randomly on some metal rod.
Mirador del Rio.
It’s an excavation into the cliff, built into a place where previously a battery of canons was installed to protect island. About 500 metres above sea level there is a viewing point with the views-to-die for. Honestly. It is the highest place on the island and to look from there at the neighbouring islets of Chinijo archipelago is as if seeing a painting, artistic masterpiece. You would’ve thought only the human imagination can create such pictures. The nearest island called La Graciosa and the mane fits it perfectly! The island has just one single village on it; the rest is a natural preserve.
The Cactus Garden
Again, the creation of the Manrique’s imagination. His last work, in fact. Just a collection of the cactus species from all over the world, re-arranged in artistic fashion. Interesting enough to spend an hour there. But what else to say about the cactus?..
Jameos del Agua
A beautiful garden of tropical plants centred around a pretty turquoise-coloured pool. Manrique created the garden in the yet another opening in the lava tunnel, the same like Green Caves I’ve mentioned before. There is also another part of the complex – an enchanting lake in the cave. The lake is the habitat of a species of unique albino crabs, found nowhere else in the world. It is truly an amazing view – the tiniest white creatures shimmering in the dark of the tunnel create an illusion of the millions of the stars fallen down into the lake. Magical…
César Manrique Foundation
This was, actually, the house of the artist. Yet he didn’t manage to live in it long enough. He built it in the…lava bubbles. It was his idea to live near and in harmony with nature. The place combined all Manrique’s skills as architect, designer, sculptor, painter and landscaper. The house indeed is unique, and as any unique construction makes one wonder of the convenience of living almost underground with stoned rock lava literally “flowing” into your living room. Well, reach people have peculiar taste and certainly can afford it too. I liked the house. It has that special touch in it that makes it feel “alive”.
More to come...
I won’t go into details of his life. If anyone interested, google is your best friend (lazy ones can check out this link)
Basically because he was rich by that time and he had many influential friends, he promoted Lanzarote into UNESCO protected zone and introduced quite a few laws on the island, mainly related to the way how Lanzarote should look. And this is the main reason why Lanzarote looks as it does. In general terms – there are no high rise buildings on the island. Well, the only ones are those built before the new planning regulations came to life. Truth to be told, the island does look very special indeed. Besides the architecture, Manrique decorated Lanzarote and all the neighbouring islands with his sculptures and wind toys – mind puzzling mobiles that you can find in various places throughout the island.
Personally, his sculptures and paintings do nothing to me. I’m not exactly a big fun of the uber modern art forms, like water barrels or metal and plastic rubbish…I appreciate the fact that he became famous because of these works. But it is his works as architect, designer, decorator that I really liked very much. His style can be called “nature-art/art-nature”. It is mainly about merging these two together, which produces marvellous effects.
So Manrique influenced how Lanzarote looks and Manrique created few places that are now rated as top tourist attractions. And they even dedicate the whole day of the excursion to Manrique works.
Monumento El Campesino
In plain English – the Monument to the Farmer. Stands in the geographical centre of Lanzarote and as you can guess, celebrates the hardship of a farmer. The monument symbolises the farmer himself and his three best helpers: a goat, a dog and a camel. Symbolises would be the best word to describe the monument, as one has to have imagination to see the farmer and his flock in the collection of the water tanks and cubes painted white and stacked randomly on some metal rod.
Mirador del Rio.
It’s an excavation into the cliff, built into a place where previously a battery of canons was installed to protect island. About 500 metres above sea level there is a viewing point with the views-to-die for. Honestly. It is the highest place on the island and to look from there at the neighbouring islets of Chinijo archipelago is as if seeing a painting, artistic masterpiece. You would’ve thought only the human imagination can create such pictures. The nearest island called La Graciosa and the mane fits it perfectly! The island has just one single village on it; the rest is a natural preserve.
The Cactus Garden
Again, the creation of the Manrique’s imagination. His last work, in fact. Just a collection of the cactus species from all over the world, re-arranged in artistic fashion. Interesting enough to spend an hour there. But what else to say about the cactus?..
Jameos del Agua
A beautiful garden of tropical plants centred around a pretty turquoise-coloured pool. Manrique created the garden in the yet another opening in the lava tunnel, the same like Green Caves I’ve mentioned before. There is also another part of the complex – an enchanting lake in the cave. The lake is the habitat of a species of unique albino crabs, found nowhere else in the world. It is truly an amazing view – the tiniest white creatures shimmering in the dark of the tunnel create an illusion of the millions of the stars fallen down into the lake. Magical…
César Manrique Foundation
This was, actually, the house of the artist. Yet he didn’t manage to live in it long enough. He built it in the…lava bubbles. It was his idea to live near and in harmony with nature. The place combined all Manrique’s skills as architect, designer, sculptor, painter and landscaper. The house indeed is unique, and as any unique construction makes one wonder of the convenience of living almost underground with stoned rock lava literally “flowing” into your living room. Well, reach people have peculiar taste and certainly can afford it too. I liked the house. It has that special touch in it that makes it feel “alive”.
More to come...