From the Pintadera to the iron. Santiago Gil workshop

During October and November, the Martín Chirino Art and Thought Foundation is hosting a writing workshop inspired by the work of the sculptor from Gran Canaria. Titled De la pintadera al hierro ("From the Pintadera to Iron") and led by writer and journalist Santiago Gil (born in Guía de Gran Canaria, 1967), the initiative aims to encourage reading and writing through in-person sessions that offer an interpretive approach to various works by Martín Chirino at the Foundation’s headquarters.

De la pintadera al hierro explores the origins of Martín Chirino’s work through a new writing workshop that traces his creative journey—starting with the pintaderas (ancient clay stamps) from El Museo Canario that are currently on display at the Art and Thought Foundation. This journey follows the path of Chirino’s artworks, which participants will observe before beginning the writing process in each scheduled session. The initiative seeks to foster an interpretive engagement with the Gran Canarian artist's works at the Foundation bearing his name, establishing a dialogue between sculpture and literature. It is being held again due to the interest generated and the results achieved during its inaugural edition.

This creative dialogue between sculpture and literature will allow workshop participants to delve into literary genres such as poetry, the novel, flash fiction, and the short story. These activities will be based on theoretical content and various practical exercises inspired by the selected pieces by Martín Chirino.

Martín Chirino will play "a central role throughout the creative process," according to writer and journalist Santiago Gil. The workshop will consist of five Thursday sessions—October 15, 22, and 29, and November 5 and 12—held in the evening from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Martín Chirino Art and Thought Foundation (located at the Castillo de la Luz). Registration is free and available via the Foundation’s website, subject to capacity limits. Confirmation of your spot or your position on the waiting list will be sent via email.

“I believe that all forms of artistic expression are connected and can engage in a dialogue with one another; that is another objective we will pursue in this writing workshop,” says Santiago Gil—winner of the 2020 Benito Pérez Galdós International Novel Award and the Esperanza Spínola Poetry Prize, recipient of two runner-up awards at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Poetry Prize, and author of novels such as Los años baldíos, Por si amanece y no me encuentras, Un hombre solo y sin sombra, Las derrotas cotidianas, El destino de las palabras, and Los días de Guayedra.

General information:

Free workshop

Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Sessions:

Thursday, October 15

Thursday, October 22

Thursday, October 29

Thursday, November 5

Thursday, November 12