March is a major month for cultural events on the island as a number of new exhibitions get underway and the annual street festival Malpais takes place from 26th March in Arrecife.
The Energetic Utopia
From 4th March a new exhibition is open to the public at the Castillo San Gabriel in Arrecife.
Organised under the title ‘The Energetic Utopia’ it explores the industrial development plans for Lanzarote from the middle of the twentieth century, as the island began to modernize its infrastructure. Housed in the Sala de Exposiciones, the gallery is open between 10.00 and 16.00, Monday to Friday and between 10.00 and 14.00 on Saturdays.
Festival of Alternative Canarian Music
A night of alternative Canarian music is programmed for Saturday 20th March at the bar Tsunami in the Charco de San Gines. The artists appearing are ST Fusion and La Dinamo Sonora. ST Fusion hail from La Laguna in Tenerife and are a jazz-fusion duo, with elements of folk music integrated into their sound. Entrance is free and the event begins at 22.00.
Malpais Street Festival
As in previous years, the Malpais festival returns to the streets of Arrecife from 26 March and runs until 22 May. Featuring street theatre, comedy, dance and a host of related activities, the events are sponsored by the Culture Department of the Ayuntamiento of Arrecife and are free of charge.
In previous years, an eclectic mixture of live music, acrobatics and street performances have formed the main focus of the festival. For more information about the individual events that will be taking place, check back later this month, when we will have a full itinerary available.
Individual and Identity
Also to be inaugurated this month is a new exhibition at the MIAC (Museum of International Contemporary Art) at the Castillo San José. From March 19th until 14th May, this exhibition will be open to the public in the Temporary Salon within the museum. All the works featured are part of the renowned Ordoñez-Falcon collection of photography.
Artists whose works form part of this exhibition include Pierre Gonnord, Celine Van Balen, Andrés Serrano and Zhang Huan. Gonnord and Van Balen have produced photographic portraits that mimic the artistic styles of painters such as Rembrandt and Caravaggio, capturing the fine detail of each individual’s face and character through the camera’s lens.
Zhang Huan is more of a conceptual artist, whose work covers photographic images as well as sculpture and installations. His photos include visually striking representations of individuals and groups of people, all exploring the issues of identity.
Andrés Serrano is the most controversial of the artists whose works are appearing here. The American born photographer has produced works featuring a black Christ, the Ku Klux Klan and a cardinal juxtaposed against a nude female figure.
The museum is open between 11.00 and 21.00 hours every day and costs €2.50 for adults and €1.25 for children. The Castillo San José is located just outside the port of Los Mármoles in Arrecife.
