We know Tarifa as the wind-surfing capitol of Europe. Now, with the opening of the Silos Gallery, Tarifa gets cultural. Can this trendy coastal town get any cooler?

One year ago, German artist, Maximillian Pfalzgraf opened the Silos Gallery in Tarifa. The first gallery of its kind in the town, it provides an invaluable service to both the local artistic and wider community. The gallery is also a big hit with the town’s seasonal visiting population.

Maximillian, who has been a resident in Tarifa for fifteen years, earned his crust as an interiors decorator, working on large hotel projects in Algeciras and the surrounding areas. However, five years ago, his life took a serious detour when the building, which houses the gallery, came on the market. Maximillian seized this opportunity to change his career and follow his dreams.

The building was originally a sixteenth century granary used by the Catholic Church, which is where the name Silos comes from. With the exception of a short-lived sojourn as a nite-club in the 1970s, it was derelict for most of the twentieth century. With his vision of a gallery in mind, Maximillian knew the building was perfect the moment he saw it and he wasted no time in buying it. He immediately began work on its restoration. A huge project by any standards, it was four years before Maximillian was able to open the doors to the public.

The gallery is divided between permanent and rotating exhibitions, with the latter to be found in an intimate space at the front of the gallery. The expansive main interior room conveys the history of the building with its high-arched ceiling, stone floor and thick walls. This is home to the paintings and sculptures of Maximillian and his wife, Isabel, as well as their workshop. While his paintings reveal a dark sense of humour, vivid imagination, contrasting imagery and a technique that at times takes it cue from the Old Masters, hers are more subtle, but equally stark watercolours.

Maximillian regards diversity as his most important attribute as an artist, so he paints, sculpts and carves. He is currently working on a series of paintings that draw inspiration from and resemble the iconography of the Tarot cards, but reflect Maximillian’s unique interpretation of their meanings. For example, in one painting The Fool is representative of the beginning of life, a being with no future or past. However, this is an impossible stance for Maximillian to digest, as he believes all life has a past to overcome, so in his image he includes the figures of an overprotective mother and brutal father behind the fool. Maximillian refers to his technique as Fantastic Hyperrealism.

At the far side of the room, two 4 mtr. long panels of wood lean indiscreetly against the wall. The intricate carving and religious motifs reveal their function. They are to form the side panels for one of the floats at next years’ Semana Santa festival in nearby San Roque. The huge wood carving presents such an immaculate finish that it is impossible to imagine the patience required to produce it. Maximillian has worked on numerous alter-pieces and can spend up to six months on one piece.

The temporary exhibitions rotate every three months and to date have included the digital photography of Oscar Carrasco, the photographic montage of Rosa Canet and the paintings of . Each of these artists are highly acclaimed within their own fields and their works are available to view and purchase on the Silos Gallery website. During the summer of 2004, the gallery also played host to a series of classical music concerts, a concept which Maximillian plans to continue and expand into 2005. There is no doubt that his passion for the arts will ensure the Silos Gallery plays a major role in the cultural landscape of the Costa de la Luz for many years to come.

www.silosgallery.com