The highly anticipated "Great Mural of Los Cristianos" will be formally unveiled at midday on Monday, 17th February, in a small ceremony at El Escondite, a restaurant located on Paseo Jorge Ledesma.
The 30-metre mural spans the wall that encloses the empty plot left by the tragic collapse of the José Julián building on 14th April 2014.
The project's benefactor, Javier Velázquez, owner of El Escondite, played a key role in making the artwork a reality, commissioning brothers Carlos and Raúl Ortega to transform the formerly stark white wall into a vibrant tribute.
The idea took shape when Velázquez approached the Ortega twins in their studio in El Camisón, looking for an artist to commemorate the seven victims of the José Julián building disaster. "It looked like a cemetery with that funeral-like white paint, it needed colour and joy," he explained to Diario de Avisos.
An agreement was quickly reached, reportedly around €8,000, not including the cost of celebratory beers, and work began with Carlos Ortega taking over the artistic direction.
He started by capturing over fifty photographs of Los Cristianos Bay before sketching his design onto the wall. The meticulous process began on 15th December 2023, with each building painstakingly recreated, complete with windows. "I never imagined I’d paint so many windows," Carlos joked, recalling the long hours of work, often interrupted by curious passers-by eager to learn about the project’s progress.
As the mural gained attention on social media, it became an unexpected tourist attraction, drawing visitors who wanted to witness its transformation in real-time. Some even attempted to contribute financially to support the work.
The local council, recognising the growing interest, provided additional materials to extend the mural, allowing for the inclusion of the midland mountains of Arona further enhancing the scenic depiction of Los Cristianos Bay.
A Community Collaboration
The growing enthusiasm for the mural saw residents and business owners asking to be featured in the artwork, a request generously accommodated by the Ortega brothers and Velázquez. Even Belgian art promoter Jean Marie Genin, who recently passed away, played a crucial role in financially supporting the project.
Carlos and Raúl Ortega are delighted with the outcome. "Fourteen months of work, nearly six hours a day, but it has been worth it. The praise has been constant," Carlos said. He shared how one admirer from the Basque Country was so captivated that she recorded a video, prompting a friend to exclaim, 'Where is Los Cristianos? I have to see this for myself.'
The mural also sparked amusing moments. Carlos recounted how a nine-year-old boy pointed out inaccuracies in the depiction of marine life, recognising that some painted fish were native to tropical waters rather than the local ecosystem. "Raúl just nodded and said, I'll take that into account," Carlos laughed. Ultimately, the artists adjusted the painting to feature species truer to the area.
Carlos explained that the inspiration for the mural came from Velázquez, who recalled his youth when emerging from the sea with diving goggles meant being greeted by the sight of Los Cristianos’ bustling promenade. "That’s what we wanted to capture, its buildings, homes, businesses, hotels, bars, trees, and people, bringing the town to life," he said.
Initially, he considered a nostalgic depiction of Los Cristianos in the 1950s and 60s, before tourism transformed the area, but Velázquez convinced him otherwise. "Looking at the final result, I think we made the right choice."
A Tribute to the Past, A Celebration of the Present
This is not the first mural commemorating the 2014 tragedy. In the summer of that year, the women from the Arona Cultural Board’s painting workshop, led by artist Carmita Díaz, created a tribute on a different wall featuring seven suns bearing the victims’ names.
Now, a decade later, another mural brings new life to the site, celebrating Los Cristianos as a vibrant, welcoming coastal town. Even before its official unveiling, the artwork has become a landmark.
The Next Project: A Mural for the Church
The overwhelming success of the mural has led to new opportunities for Carlos Ortega. He has already begun work on another mural, commissioned by Father José Estévez of Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church in Los Cristianos.
This latest project, painted on a 6.5-metre-high wall, is entirely different in style, focusing on life-sized figures. "I’ve been working on it for two weeks now. Unlike the bay mural, I don’t have curious onlookers, so I’ll finish it much faster," he said.
With his large-scale murals earning widespread acclaim, the artist admits that every blank wall now tempts him. "When I see an empty wall, I feel like a young graffiti artist, it’s hard to resist," he joked.
