Art can be showcased in various ways. Over the years, dozens of artistic movements have flooded the world’s history thanks to multifaceted and exceptional artists in painting, sculpture, or drawing. All of these were once studied at the former Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of La Laguna, which has been abandoned since 2014.
This abandonment has, over the years, resulted in significant deterioration of the building, both on its exterior and interior. What remains in the old Faculty, located on Camino del Hierro, is merely a skeleton of its former self. Inside, it harbours dirt, garbage accumulation, excrement… and amidst rubble and dust, urban art.
Since the building was left behind to enjoy the new facilities at Guajara Campus, it has been losing its shine. It even suffered a deliberately set fire in 2017, leaving visibly burnt parts inside. Despite this, its walls have become a canvas for those practicing urban art.
The interior of these facilities and their history are now recounted by Tenerife content creator Ratatour. In his latest social media video, he enters the old Faculty of Fine Arts alongside one of the top urban artists in the islands, Erik Air.
Excrement, dirt, and neglect
Capture of Ratatour’s video inside the old Faculty of Fine Arts / Ratatour
The state of the building, as seen in the images, is distressing. A clear image of neglect in every corner, full of dirt, even with areas where excrement accumulates. Some parts are victims of the 2017 fire, others of the looting that has taken place on all the electrical equipment the building had.
The auditorium now only retains the iron frames of the seats, walls in clear decay, and paint accumulation on them. From graffiti with signatures to true artistic paintings, profane words, or insignificant drawings.
Some corridors are overrun by vegetation. During Ratatour’s video recording, voices can be heard inside the building. The danger escalates in the elevator area, where the shaft continues hanging without any maintenance in almost a decade.
Despite the uncertain ideas surrounding the building’s future, such as turning it into a student residence, its abandonment remains a reality in the capital of Tenerife. One only has to peek from the Conservatory tram stop to see the poor state of the old Faculty of Fine Arts.
Towards the end of Ratatour’s video, a person approaches them and accompanies them out. While walking, he mentions living there at night and advises the two video protagonists not to go there, as the situation is unsafe. Ratatour echoes the sentiment, urging the public not to visit the location.
Capture of the video showing Erik Air’s graffiti dedicated to Ratatour / Ratatour
Street art
Graffiti divides the public on art: some consider it vandalism, while others see it as an artistic way to express an artist’s ideas. For those who lean towards the latter view, Erik Air is one of the best graffiti artists in Canarias.
