Culture in the south of Tenerife, now there’s one in the eye for all the cynics who can’t see beyond sun, sea, and sand. The seed sown by the Ten-Diez art movement two years ago is growing nicely and their latest gallery has just opened with a dozen exhibitors at Las Americas Magma Artes & Congresos, itself a bold merger of culture and commercialism.
Mark Fradley (top pic) is the driving force behind Ten-Diez and he explained the dream, the reality, and the ambitious future. “I was into photography as a teenager but work as an electrician and adult practicalities took over until I moved to Tenerife. That’s when inspired by the sea I took up my camera again but was frustrated by the lack of exhibition areas in the south to give a platform to myself and other artists.”
Mark wanted his exhibitions to show off the best face of art so he took the name from another type of craftsmen. “ Ten-Diez refers to the time 10.10 that clock and watch makers set their time pieces to so they showed the best possible view of their work.”
Magma plays a key role in the Ten-Diez movement and with a sweep of his hand Mark gave me a sneak preview of their biggest canvas “The Event” which will fill one of the large display areas on the first floor from 25 October to 2 November. “We will have 55 artists, local, national and international, and it will include photography, painting, and sculpture. This is a very versatile venue so we will make the most of it inside and out, a display of classic cars will set it off nicely.”
Back downstairs a new dimension was added to the large cavernous interior of Magma by the hot evening sun throwing lengthening shadows across the craggy concrete. The gathered artists all had a chance to introduce their work with a short speech and browsing beforehand I found a nice mix of mediums and subjects. The digital dogs and surreal surfscapes of Nikki Attree were full of fun and invention. Cayetano Gomez Barrato breathed new life into recycled materials for works that jumped out and demanded a reaction – yes that is an old mattress given a colourful makeover. Laura Serrano de Pedro delved into the deeps of the ocean with photos that gave an insight into a world of grace and mystery.
These were just a few of the selection on offer, all the works are for sale and represent some of the best artistic talent in Tenerife in photos, ink pen sketches, collage, creative use of technology, and most of all imagination and talent. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 9 to 3pm, Tuesday and Thursday also from 7 pm to midnight, and it’s free to view.