Gran Canaria

The Macaronesian region has, on the island of Gran Canaria, one of the most important proof of its artistic and archaeological past in the Cueva Pintada Museum and Archaeological Park in Galdar. The museums on the island embrace all mediums of expression, from ancient drawings, right through to the artistic avant-garde exhibitions on offer in the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (CAAM). The role of Gran Canaria in the Atlantic expansion and the island’s ties with America are found in the Casa de Colón, the space that celebrates the passage of the admiral and that looks at the island as a bridge between continents. With regards to contemporary history and modern literature, the House-Museums remember the island’s most illustrious sons such as the politician Fernando de León y Castillo in Telde, the Spanish novelist Benito Pérez Galdós in Las Palmas, and the poet Tomás Morales, in the town of Moya. In the capital, the expressive art of the island looks towards the sea in the modernist symbolism of Néstor Martin-Fernández de la Torre, and in the north of the island, the earth is the centre of attention in the expressionist paintings of Antonio Padrón.

Other institutions and individuals improve upon Gran Canaria’s heritage. Science, prehistory, religious art…have their corresponding museum spaces in the Museo Elder, the Museo Canario and the Museo Diocesano. All of these aspire to satisfy the needs of the island, as well as the visitor who enjoys culture as either a complement or alternative to the sun and the beaches tourism.