Four giant coloured clothes pegs greeted me as I entered the Pop Art exhibition of Baltasar Colinas at the Magma Arte Y Congresos near the Playa de Las Americas bus station. Arriving early I had a good prowl around the outside of this modern multi functional venue that impresses, confuses, and delights in pretty equal measure. Usually I am on my way into a show or conference so I made sure I checked out all the angles on “the bunker” as it’s often called locally. The outside concourse was being hosed down and around the corner a 1,000 places were being set for a wedding meal later in the day, the sun soaked pleasure towers of Siam Park reflected in the glass frontage as I squashed my nose up against the windows to sneak preview some of the 42 paintings and four pegs from The Land Of The Giants.

I was the lone visitor for the midday opening so had free reign to pour over the bold, bright paintings and to link up the internatonal influences in the first rooms offerings. A bright red phone box was a call from home in London City and the love padlocks, a trend kick started from Rome’s Ponte Milvio bridge in the book I Want You , caught my eye in Love Stories. Those pegs were a recuring theme as I worked my way through into the main entrance hall and past the cafe bar, sports shoes and commercial cans and bottles also popped up.

Baltasar Colinas is an artist with a keen social conscience that has followed him from his birthplace in Leon to Los Cristianos his Tenerife home for several years. On each leg of the exhibition’s Spanish tour Baltasar is donating 80 % of sales to local causes, for the Tenerife stop the chosen cause is the people who suffered as a result of the El Hierro eruptions last year. Paintings range from 500 euros to 10,000 euros for Colosos de Madrid, and those giant pegs ring in at 2,500 euros each. In the low ceiling cosy lounge area the paintings add to another contrasting mood for this venue of surprises. The soft classical music and subdued lighting also make a viewing a unique experience.

The free exhibition is on until 31 August from Noon to 6pm Monday to Thursday, Noon till midnight on Fridays, 6pm till midnight Saturdays, and closed Sundays. Pop in and have a look, there’s plenty to please the eye.