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César Manrique Cabrera ( or ) (24 April 1919 – 25 September 1992) was a Spanish artist, sculptor and nature activist from
Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the islands in the archipelago. With 163,230 inhabi ...
, known particularly for the architectural projects in which he was involved as artistic director in his island.


Early life

Manrique was born in
Arrecife Arrecife (; ; ) is the capital city and a municipality of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It was made the island's capital in 1852. The city owes its name to the rock reef ("arrecife" being Spanish for "reef") which covers its local beach. It als ...
,
Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the islands in the archipelago. With 163,230 inhabi ...
, one of the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
. His father Gumersindo Manrique, originally from
Fuerteventura Fuerteventura () is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, geographically part of Macaronesia, and politically part of Spain. It is located away from the coast of North Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO i ...
, built the family house in Caleta de Famara. Manrique himself once said this house and its surroundings has impressed him greatly. He fought in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
as a volunteer in the artillery unit on Franco's side. He attended the
University of La Laguna The University of La Laguna (ULL; Spanish: ''Universidad de La Laguna'') is a public research university situated in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on the island of Tenerife, Spain. It is the oldest university in the Canary Islands. The univers ...
to study
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
, but after two years he quit his studies.


Career

He moved to
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
in 1945 and received a scholarship for the Art School of San Fernando, where he graduated as a teacher of art and painting. Between 1964 and 1966 he lived in New York City, where a grant from
Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...
allowed him to rent his own studio. He painted many works in New York, which were exhibited in the prestigious "Catherine Viviano" gallery.Biography César Manrique
/ref> Manrique returned to
Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the islands in the archipelago. With 163,230 inhabi ...
in 1966. Upon his return, he intended to start an artist's colony on the island. Pepín Ramírez, a childhood friend of Manrique as well as the president of the island helped Manrique realize this idea. César Manrique went on to reflect the unique landscape and colour palette of Lanzarote in his art and the architecture on the island. Beside continuing his personal art career, Manrique gained a lot of attention with his commitment to protect Lanzarote from what he regarded as pernicious tourist developments. Manrique was not against tourism on the island. On the contrary, he thought (high-quality) tourism should be the economic engine of the island. His legacy on the island includes the art, culture and tourism centre at Jameos del Agua (1963–1987); his Volcano House, Taro de Tahiche (1968); the restaurant at the restored Castillo de San José at
Arrecife Arrecife (; ; ) is the capital city and a municipality of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It was made the island's capital in 1852. The city owes its name to the rock reef ("arrecife" being Spanish for "reef") which covers its local beach. It als ...
(1976); the visitors center at the Timanfaya National Park (1971); his Palm Grove House at Haria (1986); the Mirador del Rio (1973), and the Jardin de Cactus at
Guatiza Guatiza is a village in the municipality of Teguise in the northeastern part of the island of Lanzarote in the Las Palmas province in the Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the ...
. He had a major influence on the planning regulations on Lanzarote following his recognition of its potential for tourism and lobbied successfully to encourage the sustainable development of the industry. One aspect of this is the ban of ''high-rise'' hotels on the island, which do not fit the aesthetic harmony that should cover the entire island, according to Manrique. Those high buildings that were built before the ban are generally keeping with the use of traditional colors in their exterior decoration. Homeowners are encouraged to protect this visual unity by keeping the exterior of the houses white (with specific colors for the woodwork). Manrique published a book on the topic in 1974 called ''Architecture Unpublished'', collaborating with the renowned Spanish architect Fernando Higueras.


International reputation

In addition to his artistic engagement in the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
and on the Spanish
peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
, Manrique also became internationally renowned. In 1990, he created one of the much respected BMW Art Cars with the German designer and paint artist Walter Maurer. Their
collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. The ...
for the international automobile company increased Manrique's fame beyond the country's borders. Manrique maintained a close friendship with Walter Maurer until César Manrique's death in
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
and was involved in a constant artistic exchange. Before the collaboration with César Manrique, Maurer had already designed BMW Art Cars with other highly recognised international artists such as
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...
,
Frank Stella Frank Philip Stella (May 12, 1936 – May 4, 2024) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. He lived and worked in New York City for much of his career befor ...
and
Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...
. The work for the joint Art Car was carried out in Maurer's studio in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. César Manrique took care of the initial design proposals, coordinated them with his artistic partner Walter Maurer and was responsible for the final approval, while Maurer was responsible for applying the design to the BMW 730i. In September 2019, one hundred years after his birth, Manrique was awarded the Medal of Honor of the University of La Laguna, where he briefly studied architecture at the start of his career.


Death

Manrique died in a car accident at Tahíche, Teguise, very near the Fundación, his Lanzarote home, in 1992. He was aged 73.


César Manrique Foundation

The César Manrique foundation was set up in 1982 by César Manrique and a group of friends but wasn't officially opened until 1992 after Manrique died. The foundation, based at Manrique's home, following his move to a townhouse in the north of the island, is a private, non-profit organisation set-up to allow tourists access to Manrique's home. The foundation is also an art-gallery featuring art created by Manrique himself as well as Art that he acquired during his life. The gallery includes original sketches by
Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...
and
Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , ; ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor and Ceramic art, ceramist. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona ...
. The money the foundation takes from ticket sales goes toward raising awareness about the art of Lanzarote, as well as being used to fund the foundation's "artistic, cultural and environmental activities". Manrique's home itself is built within a 3,000 m2 lot, on the site of the Lanzarote eruptions in the 18th century, and was created upon Manrique's return from New York City in 1966. The rooms on the first floor, including the artist studios, were created with the intention of keeping with Lanzarote traditions, yet making them more modern with open spaces and large windows. The "ground floor", more appropriately titled the "basement", contains five areas situated within volcanic bubbles, the rooms bored into volcanic
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
. There is a central cave which houses a recreational area, including a swimming pool, a barbecue and a small dance floor. Once outside the main house, the visitor comes to the outside area, where there is a small square with a fountain in the middle before approaching a small café area and the visitor shop. This area was once César Manrique's garage. One of the foundation's fundamental missions is to oppose the spread of high-rise concrete across the Spanish coastline and her islands. The foundation recently brought attention to 24 illegally erected hotels in Lanzarote.Building craze threatens to end Lanzarote's biosphere status
The Independent. 7 July 2010


See also

*
List of single-artist museums This is a list of single-artist museum, single–artist museums, which are museums displaying the work, or bearing the name, of a single visual artist. See also * :Museums devoted to one artist * List of art museums * List of most visited art mu ...


Honours

*1978 ''Weltpreis für Ökologie und Tourismus'',
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, Germany *1986
Europa Nostra Europa Nostra (Latin for "Our Europe") is a pan-European Federation for cultural heritage, Cultural Heritage, representing citizens' organisations that work on safeguarding Europe's cultural and natural heritage. It is the voice of this movement ...
Prize
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
*1989 Art Prize, Canarian government *1989 Fritz Schumacher Prize at the
Leibniz University Hannover Leibniz University Hannover (), also known as the University of Hannover, is a public university, public research university located in Hanover, Germany. Founded on 2 May 1831 as Higher Vocational School, the university has undergone six period ...
, Germany


Works

In Lanzarote: *Casa / Museo César Manrique (Manrique's house and artist studio in Haria, with landscaped garden). * Mirador del Rio (built in 1973 overlooking the neighbouring island of Graciosa). * Jameos del Agua (concert venue/nightclub for 600 persons in a cave). *
Jardín de Cactus The Jardín de Cactus is a cactus garden on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It is situated in the village of Guatiza, in a former quarry where volcanic sand lapilli (volcanic pyroclast, locally called "picón" or "rofe") was ext ...
(a
cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...
garden home to over 1,100 different varieties of cactuses near
Guatiza Guatiza is a village in the municipality of Teguise in the northeastern part of the island of Lanzarote in the Las Palmas province in the Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the ...
). *Taro de Tahíche (Manrique's house near Teguise, the present seat of the Fundación César Manrique). *International Museum of Contemporary Arts in the Castillo de San José, Arrecife. *Garden and swimming pools of the five-star hotel Las Salinas in Costa Teguise. *El triunfador (built in 1990 in the area of Fundacion César Manrique, a sculpture). *Juguetes del viento (built in 1992 in Arrieta, windmill). *El Diablo, symbol of the Timanfaya National Park. *El Diablo Restaurant (uses volcanic heat to cook). Outside Lanzarote: * Lago Martiánez (1977, large "semi natural" open air sea-water pool complex in
Puerto de la Cruz Puerto de la Cruz is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It was formerly known by its English translation, "Port of the Cross", although now it is known by its Spanish name in all langu ...
, Tenerife). *Playa Jardín (volcanic beach and sub-tropical gardens complex in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife). * La Vaguada Shopping Centre in Madrid (1983), the first shopping centre perfectly integrated into the natural environment in Spain. *La Peña (1989, a restaurant and belvedere on El Hierro). *Mirador del Palmarejo (1989, a lookout point in La Gomera). * BMW Art Car in collaboration with Walter Maurer (1990),
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, Germany. *Canarian Pavilion (1992, Expo 92, Seville, Spain). * Parque Marítimo César Manrique, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife


Additional images

File:César Manrique Wandskulptur.jpg, Manrique Foundation; outside (Lanzarote) File:César Manrique Stahlskulptur.jpg, Manrique Foundation; inside (Lanzarote) File:Cesar Manrique Windskulptur.jpg, Wind sculpture (Lanzarote) File:Wind mobile-Cesar Manrique-Las Canteras-Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.jpg, Wind sculpture (
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital city of the Canary Islands (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and the m ...
) File:Monumento-al-Campesino.JPG, Monument to the peasant (Lanzarote) File:Taro Tahiche 2.JPG, Taro Tahiche (Lanzarote)


References

*César, Manrique '' Arquitectura inédita'' *Alejandro Scarpa 2023.
César Manrique and Lanzarote, Essential guide.
' . (English) *Alejandro Scarpa 2019. ''César Manrique, acupuntura territorial en Lanzarote''. . (Spanish edition with English summarized translations). * Lancelot Internacional, Especial: César Manrique, Lanzarote, 3. Revisada 1996, Lanzarote. Idiomas: Español, Inglés y Alemán (3rd revision 1996, Lanzarote. Languages: English, German and Spanish).


External links


Official website of the Cesar Manrique FoundationArchitectural drawings and location of all Manrique's work in Lanzarote
*http://www.cesarmanrique.com
360° Panoramic vtour of the Lago Martiánez and pools
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manrique, Cesar 1919 births 1992 deaths People from Arrecife 20th-century Spanish architects Artists from the Canary Islands 20th-century Spanish painters 20th-century Spanish male artists Spanish male painters Spanish sculptors Spanish male sculptors Road incident deaths in Spain 20th-century Spanish sculptors