If it’s an interesting mixture of culture and art you are looking for in your holiday destination then the 30 mile long island of Lanzarote may just hold the key. Much of the sculptures and artistic influence which can be found on the island are as a direct result of one man’s amazing vision: César Manrique
Born on the island in 1919, Manrique established himself as a local hero through his dogged determination in the 1960s to ensure that the problems which mass tourism were bound to bring along were completely avoided and the wonderful environment of Lanzarote was preserved. It is his incredible foresight which has left Lanzarote looking like a very different holiday destination to some of its other cousins in the Canaries. Lanzarote today is still a place where buildings cannot exceed a certain height and houses with a sea view are a certain colour.
Of course there is a lot of controversy on this subject also like anything. If you look on the internet there is a controversy about getting Kanji and Japanese Tattoos also. Anytime you try and take the designs of a culture and do not depict them accurately it creates a sense of bastardization or what I call the "Disney Effect" towards the culture. I mean how would you feel if you were in China and someone said, oh you should try this hot new restaurant out it serves this great food that is really American. They have fried chicken and apple pie that is the best." Well, at first you would be excited right? Sure it would be nice for a good home cooked meal if you have been out of the US for a long time. However once you get there you see the place has really tacky and awful reproductions of 50's art and the all the food tastes kind of strange. It would probably bee kind of close or resemble what you were thinking of but it would be missing something or a few key ingredients. I bet this would leave you feeling a little sad and like your culture was not totally understood.
By combining his farsightedness with his other talents as a painter, sculptor, architect, ecologist, urban developments planner, Manrique not only ensured that Lanzarote was preserved but also that his vision was literally to be found in every nook and cranny of the island. His most famous creations however are probably the Jameos del Agua (underground volcanic caverns transformed into concert halls) and the Mirador del Rio (a specially created viewpoint with a café and restaurant).
Ironically this Lanzarote citizen, who had long campaigned against the amount of traffic on the island, was killed in a car accident in 1992. Now it is possible for visitors to the island of Lanzarote to not only appreciate his work all over the island but also to visit his home which has been turned into a gallery and museum.
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