The El Tanque Cultural Center in Tenerife wants to be named after Dulce Xerach.
The Cabildo of Tenerife has proposed naming the El Tanque Cultural Center after the recently deceased prominent politician and writer Dulce Xerach, who made a significant contribution to its creation and preservation.
The Cabildo of Tenerife wants to name the El Tanque cultural center after Dulce Xerach, a well-known politician and writer from Tenerife who recently passed away.
This was announced by the island's president, Rosa Dávila, together with the vice president, Lope Afonso, at a press conference after a government meeting. Dávila expressed her condolences to Dulce Xerach's family and emphasized that El Tanque best reflects her personality. After all, Dulce Xerach always defended culture, had a rebellious spirit, and did everything to preserve this symbol of industrial heritage, which is now an important cultural site.
It was Dulce Xerach, when she was the Councilor for Culture of the Cabildo (from 1995 to 2003), who played a key role in the creation of El Tanque. In 1997, thanks to the project of architect Fernando Menis, the former industrial reservoir was transformed into a cultural space. The architectural studio AMP adapted the old building and used materials from the oil refinery, which was being dismantled at the time, to preserve the industrial look.
El Tanque is one of the three exhibition centers in Tenerife managed by the Government of the Canary Islands (together with the Hall of Contemporary Art and the Hall of Cabrera Pinto). It mainly features contemporary visual art, especially art from the islands. Everyone is invited to participate. Music and other interesting events are also held here.
El Tanque is located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Cabo Llanos district. It used to be reservoir No. 69 of the oil refinery – the only thing left of the area's industrial past. Since 1997, it has hosted exhibitions, art installations, performances, and important cultural events, such as the Keroxen festival. In 2014, El Tanque was recognized as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) as a monument of industrial heritage.
Dulce Xerach always faithfully served culture and heritage. She had a law degree and was an expert in cultural management. She worked as Deputy Minister of Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands and Councilor of the Cabildo of Tenerife. She started a series of detective novels about Inspector María Ancheta, was president of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, and supported important projects such as Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA) and El Tanque, which became a symbol of the protection of industrial heritage on the island.