TEA Tenerife Unveils 2026 Program After Successful 2025
TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes announced its 2026 program, featuring new exhibitions, a biennial, and residency initiatives, following a successful 2025 with increased visitor numbers and activities.
The Cabildo (Tenerife Island Council) recently announced the program for TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA) for 2026 and looked back at the museum's activities in 2025. José Carlos Acha, the island councillor for Culture and Museums, and Sergio Rubira, the artistic director, joined the TEA team to preview this year's exhibitions. These will feature artists like Cabello/Carceller, Cándido Camacho, Pérez y Requena, Irene Kopelman, Pepa Izquierdo, and José Aguiar.
TEA will also host its second Contemporary Biennial, an exhibition drawing from the museum's own collection and the Conca gallery's fund. Another group exhibition will be inspired by the writings of anthropologist Fernando Estévez. The exhibition schedule also includes shows from MiniTEA and a permanent space for Óscar Domínguez. Beyond exhibitions, the museum offers audiovisual, educational, and public programs, establishing itself as a hub for ideas, discussion, and creativity.
Looking back at 2025, Acha reported that 140,133 people visited the exhibitions, an increase of 8,228 visitors compared to 2024. The museum also held 271 activities, attracting 15,565 participants, and its film program drew 18,100 viewers.
The exhibition "Rebeldía y disciplina. Una posible historia de los grupos de artistas de Canarias a partir de la colección de TEA" (Rebellion and Discipline: A Possible History of Canarian Artist Groups from the TEA Collection) was the most popular, with 37,979 visitors. The MiniTEA Space, part of the educational program, served 29,483 users.
Sergio Rubira confirmed that TEA will continue its regular weekend film program, along with themed film series connected to its exhibitions and intellectual discussions. Screenings and presentations focusing on Canarian cinema will also carry on. Educationally, the museum offers the MiniTEA Space, the online resource Cajón de Arte, family programs, and programs for groups with special needs. Guided tours in Spanish and English are also regularly available.
The contemporary art center also acts as a social laboratory and training hub through its public programs. One key initiative is the new LIC program (Laboratory for Research and Curatorship), designed to professionalize and encourage critical thinking in curation. Other platforms for shared ideas include La Plaza. Taller de prácticas compartidas (The Square: Shared Practices Workshop) and the critical thinking series No-Todo. This series will invite speakers to explore the historical use of original myths and suggest ways to build a future free from certain current structures.
Completing the 2026 schedule is the live arts series "Por asalto," curated by Violeta Gil (with support from the Ministry of Culture's Tabacalera residency grants) and Sandra Santana, a professor at the University of La Laguna. The radio and publishing platform Onda Corta will also contribute, ensuring a diverse range of activities that engage the public.
As part of PIT (Perform Inform Transform: Participatory Performance in Art Museums), TEA will collaborate with different partners to co-produce new works. These include projects by Canarian artist Mónica Valenciano (with Bozar Brussels), Australian artist Ivan Cheng (based in the Netherlands, with Mudam Luxembourg), and Puerto Rican collective Poncili Creación (with Fundación Serralves).
TEA is also launching two new residency programs. The first offers two residencies at the Centro de Residencias Artísticas de Matadero Madrid, running from April 14 to July 10. These are for visual artists and curators from the Canary Islands, in partnership with Madrid Destino, and cover both artistic and curatorial residencies. Applications are open until February 19. The goal is to provide a professional, creative, and supportive environment for contemporary art projects, helping to advance the careers of those in the Canarian cultural sector.
The second program is the Laboratory of Research and Curatorship (LIC). This training initiative provides critical curatorial education, helping participants develop the skills to design, research, and manage curatorial projects. It focuses on a contemporary approach that considers the social, cultural, and regional aspects of the Canary Islands. Registration for this program closes on February 2.