Archive for October 30th, 2013
Ten Diez Fills It’s Biggest Canvas Yet At Magma

Art comes in many forms and the Ten-Diez Movement embraces them all, their reputation and ambition are both flourishing at their latest exhibition at the Magma Arts & Congress Centre in Playa de Las Americas. Who wouldn’t be touched by the emotional impact of Nazaret Hernandez life studies above.

Santa Cruz kept me away from the big launch on Saturday night but determined to get in ahead of the Saturday 2nd November finish I went and gave my eyes a feast. The iron sculptures in the main entrance hall were just a taster of the range and scale of pleasures to come, they have attracted 65 artists from as far away as Brazil and Australia, displaying 650 works covering every medium imaginable. The sweeping stairway by the reception desk was my portal to well set out hall divided into unequal sections encouraging an informal voyage around the works.

Don’t feel you have to be an intense art lover, there’s plenty of light and shade here, the plate eyes of Victor Ezquerro Barrera playfully followed me around the room and the four striking Dali influenced figures of Aaron Rodriguez Diaz  were bold and challenging. The Viejo Lobo del Mar (old wolf of the sea) was a multi layered reminder of life around the coast, Carlos A Ortega really brought out the bond between man and nature.

For something a little different Australian Jenny Papalexandris series of black and white photos of a dead Brown Honeyeater may sound a little morbid but they brought out the weak and vulnerable side of the magnificent bird. Black and white studies also caught my eye through the lens of Goretty Gutierrez with some evocative urban scenes like Baker Street tube station. There was plenty of varied materials used, the drawings bordering on animation from El Orejon made me smile as did the Jack Brain graphic design that added a modern promotional spin on Tenerife history.

The artists cover a wide range of ages and experience, Ten Diez want to encourage as many artists as possible to find an outlet in Adeje and they are already planning an even bigger event next year. The Magma is a great flagship for the art movement, its location next to the bus station makes it easy to get to and its own bold style makes it a fitting partner. The concrete structure of the building is celebrated rather than hidden and that made a particularly good background to the large graffiti style works of Drew Wall in the big alcove room. I had another look at the soothing swim image of Sara Acosta before ending my full and very stimulating tour.

Entry is 3 euros, this Friday (1st November) the exhibition is closed for the national holiday but Wednesday and Thursday they open 9am to 5pm (closed 2 to 3 pm) and Saturday they finish with a packed all day special including interactive talks from several artists and a closing party from 8pm to midnight, the website has full details.