The change of government in the Cabildo has raised the question of whether the horse sculptures by Jason de Caires will be returned to the Castillo de San José.
The four sculptures, titled The Rising Tide, were removed shortly after the Socialists took charge of the Cabildo in 2019. They claimed that the horses were only meant to be a temporary display, that they had been installed without the proper permissions and that they “were not in keeping with the vision of Manrique”.
At the same time, they removed the Atlantic Museum in Playa Blanca, featuring scores of underwater sculptures by de Caires, from the official list of the island’s tourist attractions.
The horses and the Atlantic Museum were pet projects of former Cabildo President Pedro San Ginés, who is currently being investigated on corruption charges and was unable to stand for office in May’s elections. However, his party colleague in the Coalición Canaria , Oswaldo Betancort, is almost certain to become the next Cabildo President, prompting speculation that the horses, currently in storage in Arrecife, will be returned.
Whether the Atlantic Museum will once again be placed on the list of official attractions is another question. It was making substantial losses at the time of its closure, but currently remains open for divers to visit free of charge.
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