The San Roque Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) is located in the Old City Hall in the Plaza de Armas Square, in the historical centre of San Roque.

The CAC will house the works of two universal San Roque-born artists in completely different spaces, an Andrés Vázquez de Sola exhibition and a Carlos Pacheco exhibition.

Andrés Vázquez de Sola (1927)

The exhibition that has just opened features the pictorial work of artist Vázquez de Sola, full of humour and wit. The visit is arranged in rooms around a common thread: portraits with a description of a person that includes their character, habits and actions, which provides the opportunity for the San Roque creator to investigate the ins and outs of the portrayed public figures.

His works are arranged in three rooms.

The first room, on the ground floor, is dedicated to people from the Gibraltar Area, characters who tell stories about the region through their own lives portrayed with humour and love. Artists, intellectuals, musicians, writers, from different eras. From historical figures such as Luis de Lacy, José Cadalso, Francisco María Tubino or Juan Domingo de Mena, to the 20th century with Juan Luis Galiardo, Carlos Castilla del Pino, Paco de Lucía or Carlos Pacheco, among many others.

The second and third rooms are located on the first floor and are adjacent. They offer a walk through historical eras with the legendary characters created by the ingenuity of Vázquez de Sola.

His works are full of colour, imbued with a sense of humour, through which we can delve into the human soul, the one that we are made up of, with our strengths and flaws. A story told through portraits, a mirror in which to look at ourselves and recognise ourselves. But not with sadness or seriousness, but through laughter, which dismantles and demolishes the walls that separate us.

The San Roque artist says that “Humour is the ability to laugh at the world whilst we look in the mirror.” Seen in this way, laughter is an effective therapy, a powerful tool against repression, laughter breaks down walls, sneaks between the bars of the cells and is impossible to chain up. Laughter is a powerful weapon of mass destruction against the injustices of this world, Vázquez de Sola takes us on a journey to a purer world.

Facts about Andrés Vázquez de Sola:

Born in San Roque, on 25th July 1927, Andrés Vázquez de Sola Domingo stands out as one of the great graphic humourists of the 20th century. Specialised in satirical press, his career took him beyond area to Granada, Madrid and Paris.

After his difficult beginnings in the French capital, feeling cold and sleeping under bridges, his satirical work “The Great Francoist Bullfight” led him to publish in Le Canard Enchainé. This was the starting point for his recognition as one of the most outstanding Andalusians in satirical drawing.

In 1985 he retired for good from journalistic work and dedicated himself to painting colourful medium and large format portraits and holding monographic exhibitions, without forgetting to mention the more than thirty books that he has published.

Carlos Pacheco (1961-2022)

Born in San Roque on 14th November 1961. He was one of the most prominent cartoonists in the international comics industry. His work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics earned him worldwide recognition.

He gave life to characters such as Captain America, Superman and Batman. He was a regular at several Spanish, European and North American comic functions and conventions. He usually worked with inker Jesús Merino and his style is characterised by being elegant, dynamic and clean. He drew inspiration from artists such as Neal Adams and John Buscema.