FONDATION CESAR MANRIQUE

Located 5 kilometers north of Arrecife, in Taro de Tahiche, Cesar Manrique's house is the one where he lived for twenty years and became a museum since his death in 1992. It was built in 1968 in a lava flow created by the eruption that occurred in the years 1730-1736 and is the first and perhaps the best example of the architecture to which Manrique dedicated himself upon his return to his native island, but planned from his stay in New York. According to his wishes, it was to "mark a symbiosis between art and nature". The interior uses the black basalt of the site, contrasting sharply with the walls, which are as white as those of the island's traditional houses, except when they are decorated with abstract frescoes. Inside, the painter's former studio houses his personal collection, which includes his own works as well as those of Picasso, Miró, Tápies, etc. The subterranean level has five volcanic bubbles in which lounges are located. You can also visit the swimming pool, the small dance floor, the oven and the barbecue. All of this is surrounded by an abundant vegetation of fruit trees and various plants that contrast with the blackness of the lava. The foundation also includes a large room for temporary exhibitions of painters, sculptors and photographers. During the visit, we go from the interior to the exterior, ending with a large mural by Manrique overlooking a garden of aquatic pools.