A tribute to Manolo Millares. Revisiting the history of Canarian art, in search of its roots

Among other activities to celebrate the centenary of his birth, the Foundation is dedicating a space to the work of Manolo Millares inside the Castillo de la Luz, presenting the exhibition entitled “Homage to Manolo Millares: Revisiting the Fabric of Canarian Art, in Search of its Roots,” curated by Jesús M. Castaño. This exhibition will be on display at the Foundation's headquarters from March 12 to August 31, 2026. Six works by Manolo Millares will be exhibited alongside the permanent collection of works by Martín Chirino, allowing for dialogues between their pieces and echoing the conversations between the two artists.

Commemorating Manolo Millares through the Martín Chirino Foundation means revisiting the work of these two artists, who both focused on reflecting on these roots. “Revisiting the fabric of Canarian art, in search of its roots,” as Juan Manuel Bonet states. And we do so through this exhibition, with works that demonstrate that these two universal artists shared the same concerns and the same island identity.

Martín Chirino expressed a profound connection with Manolo Millares, emphasizing that "For Millares and me, art is life, and living is an art," reflecting a shared vision where art and existence merge. He recalled their youth together in Las Palmas, creating works together, demonstrating a lasting friendship and admiration for Millares's intensity and passion for creation, a bond they maintained during their time in Madrid.

Martín Chirino and Manolo Millares met as teenagers, both born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, just a year apart. They would meet on the beautiful Las Canteras beach and spend hours playing tag. From displaying their skill at driving the iron into the sand, they gradually moved on to discussing Pérez Galdós's monumental anger towards the Canarians, the weight of Guanche culture, and the oppressive yet dazzling landscape of the Canary Islands. These are all themes that shaped Chirino and Millares's work within the Surrealist movement. The two artists and friends reflected on pre-Hispanic art, a shared passion they had developed in their youth through frequent visits to the Museo Canario, where they were particularly interested in the pintaderas (painted clay stamps) and funerary bundles. When they weren't at the beach, the group explored the pre-Hispanic caves on the outskirts of the island or visited the Museo Canario, so awe-inspiring and haunting. Unbeknownst to them, they were preparing to resume the path begun by Óscar Domínguez: the journey inward from the Canary Islands. They never met Óscar Domínguez, but they did know Westerdhal, the only survivor from that era. He was their mentor and the link that connected them to the avant-garde, explaining that Picasso, Klee, Torres García, and Miró had already worked with prehistoric art, and that they, on their island, had something to contribute to the discussion.

Millares explained the Canary Islands through his homeland (he was passionate about archaeology); Chirino, on the other hand, preferred to speak of the wind that blows in from the ocean. This is the feeling one gets when seeing Manolo's burlap tapestries next to Martín's metal spirals. They maintained a close and lasting friendship from their youth, sharing artistic concerns and a common destiny in the development of contemporary Spanish art. Their relationship was both personal and professional, and both were key figures in the influential El Paso group.