If there is another place on earth with a more stunning natural beauty than the Canary Islands, it must be hidden somewhere under a dense forest or possibly at the bottom of the sea. The Canary Islands are magnificent, and there is a fantastic and thriving cultural scene in each of the larger cities. Closer to Africa than Spain, there are rich blends of cultural influence, and some very complicated and interconnected histories here. It’s a great place to find excellent restaurants, spectacular media and installation art, as well as 5 star hotels. Tenerife is the largest island, and has some amazing things to see for the locals as well as the tourists.
You’ll probably hear a lot about Carnival while you’re here, whether it’s time or not, because it is such an important event in the island’s annual calendar. Public gatherings such as this often give the illusion that the artistic production of the island is limited to folklore that is constructed for the tourist’s consumption, although some of the festivals are extremely important to the local cultures. Savvy globetrotters will see that there’s more to Tenerife than meets the eye, and some respectful investigating might reveal some splendid surprises. There is, for example, a very sizable network of digital artists working here, making some fantastic creations and magnificent connections.
Espacio Enter is a great place to begin looking for the artists doing this work here. This is an annual meeting for anyone involved in bridging art and digital culture. For many artists these days, the connection is very easy to make, having grown into a time where the virtual and the real are becoming difficult to distinguish, and the artists of the world are pointing to this as either a problem or a wonderful solution. Espacio Enter showcases some of the coolest new work in experimental cinema, music, as well as a focus on artists and scientists making innovations to advance these emerging art forms. There’s a lot to see here.