Luís Fernández Galiano, one of the best critics of architecture, about Fernando Menis

The editor of the magazine Arquitectura Viva, director Luis Fernandez Galiano, said today that although it may seem excessive, Fernando Menis is the most important architect and artist from the Canary Islands after the death of the architect César Manrique.

Luis Fernández Galiano had the opportunity  to express himself in the opening of the exhibition "Fernando Menis. Reason and emotion through the hard years", running from today until January 16 in CajaCanarias. This event was organized by this specific foundation, CajaCanarias.

In this exhibition, there is a tour about the artistic and professional activity of Fernando Menis between 2004 and 2015. A monograph is also presented here with all Menis’ projects, published by Arquitectura Viva, which was devoted to the artist and architect, borned in 1951 in the capital of Tenerife. 

Luis Fernandez Galiano said that this is the first monograph that this magazine dedicates in thirty years to a canary author, adding that Fernando Menis has created its own language "not only very canarian, but also cosmopolitan".

He said that he admires Fernando Menis since the beginning of his career and said that with the upcoming opening of the Auditorium Jordanik in Poland, the canary artist will have his first major work outside Spain and that will consolidate its international launch and recognition.

Luis Fernandez Galiano did not meet César Manrique but admires his work because he has influenced all the artists and architects of the canary islands.

He recalled that at the beginning César Manrique was regarded with disdain by many people, but he insisted that this has been fundamental and have created the utopia of taking responsibility for an island and protect their patrimony.

He also mentioned that it may seem excessive, but Fernando Menis is the most important artist from the Canary Islands since the death of the architect César Manrique.

He said that this architect is "very canarian yet universal, it can only be universal rather than being a very profound way."

Alberto Delgado mentioned that Fernando Menis is one of the most awarded architects of the Canary Islands and mentioned that no one has understood the canary landscape like him.

The center of the exhibition is a sculpture that encompasses the concept called "Hatching" which aims to explore ways to create an environment that fosters and sustains life within it, and that has been devised and created by Fernando Menis.

The artist explained that "Hatching" is like a plastic and came from a very personal idea. He also stated that the crisis of recent years has been "tremendous" and has affected all professions.

Fernando Menis indicated that when someone wants to do something has to find his own way and he thinks maybe that this help him with the separation from his former partners and the fact that, for political reasons, as his brother Adam, who was President of the Canary Islands. Thus, he settled in Valencia and then in Madrid. Once the study is consolidated in Madrid, Fernando Menis was back with his family.

During the press conference Fernando Menis mentioned that he has always worked with local materials and said that everyone is a multilayer of a lot of information.

Fernando Menis is also the author of works such as the Insular Athletics Centre Tenerife, and exposure models of his most emblematic works shown.

This architect is an associate professor at the European University of the Canary Islands and president of the Laboratory for Innovation in Architecture, Design and Advanced Tourism of Tenerife.

Fernando Menis studied in Barcelona and after finished studying architecture, he was part of Artengo-Menis-Pastrana team for the study in 2004.

He has signed projects such as a pool in the Spree River in Berlin and “President” of the Canary Islands, and has projects like the Congress Centre Fuerteventura, Cara Aurum in Taiwan Taipei Housing Tower and Church in La Laguna.

Fernando Menis has repeatedly won the Regional Award for Architecture in the Canaries and was a finalist of international awards such as FAD and WAF as well as the Spanish Biennale of Architecture.