Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo

About the museum

The Castillo de San José was built at the end of the 18th century, during the reign of Charles III, to reinforce the defence of Puerto de Naos and the harbour front of Arrecife. The works gave employment to the local population in a time of scarcity, which is why it was popularly called the “Fortaleza del Hambre” (Fortress of Hunger). Having lost its military function, the building reached the 20th century abandoned.

In the mid-1970s César Manrique proposed to the Cabildo de Lanzarote (island council) that the fortress be recovered and turned into a museum. He directed the remodelling works, with specific interventions inside that respected the character of the old bulwark and adapted it for displaying art. In the former semicircular glazed structure a restaurant with views over the bay was installed.

The Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo (MIAC) opened on 8 December 1976 with an exhibition in which 180 selected and invited artists took part, and it was a pioneering art centre in the Canary Islands and in Spain. Today it is run by the Centros de Arte, Cultura y Turismo (CACT) of the Cabildo de Lanzarote.

Its collection brings together works by Canarian, national and international artists, mainly from the 1950s to the 1980s and with a predominance of abstraction. The route includes the MIAC collection room, the room of Canarian artists, the room dedicated to the Lanzarote sculptor Pancho Lasso, the upper terrace with a sculpture by Martín Chirino, the cistern (aljibe) and a room for temporary exhibitions.

Highlights

• 18th-century castle remodelled by César Manrique
• MIAC collection with works by Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies and Eusebio Sempere
• Room of Canarian Artists (Millares, Cristino de Vera, José Dámaso)
• Pancho Lasso room
• “El Sueño I” by Martín Chirino on the upper terrace
• Restaurant with views over Arrecife bay

Permanent exhibition

• Colección MIAC – Paintings and sculptures by Canarian, national and international artists, with rooms dedicated to 20th-century Canarian artists and to Pancho Lasso.

Founded

1976

Operated by

Cabildo de Lanzarote (CACT Lanzarote)

Admission & discounts

There are reduced rates for Canarian residents, residents of Lanzarote and people with disabilities. They cannot be combined, and documentation must be presented in physical form at the ticket office. Tickets can be bought at the ticket office or online, and are shown from the phone as a QR code.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Only the ground floor is accessible without stairs. The rest of the route has stairs and level changes typical of the historic building, and the stone floor can be unstable. Assistance dogs are admitted.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Children aged 0 to 6 enter free. The toilets have baby-changing facilities and the restaurant has high chairs.

Getting there & parking

The castle is on Arrecife bay, next to the Avenida de Naos.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Wi-Fi

Bar-café and Restaurante Castillo de San José, in the glazed structure with views over the bay (reservations at +34 928 812 321). The centre has free Wi-Fi and car and bicycle parking.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit