Since September 12, the Exhibition Hall of the Parliament of the Canary Islands has hosted a program focused on current graphic humor: "Tele Canaria's cartoons", an event that brings together the live work of cartoonist José "Pepe" Farruqo during the Buenos DÃas Canarias magazine show. The initiative, organized by Canary Islands Radio and Television (RTVC), brings the public closer to the process and the result of pieces that are born to the rhythm of daily information.
The visitor will find nearly a hundred original cartoons, created against the clock in front of the cameras and with a critical, ingenious, and elegant look at current events in the Canary Islands, Spain, and internationally. The exhibition is designed so that anyone, even if they are not a comics expert, can enjoy it. connect with graphic humor and leave with the desire to continue reflecting on what is happening around you.
What can be seen in the exhibition hall
The exhibition brings together a wide selection of drawings made by Farruqo in live television broadcasts from the last year, a daily collaboration with Good Morning Canary Islands who has transferred the press cartoon from paper to the screen. With his swift strokes and measured irony, the author captures the news of the day in minutes and turns it into an image that invites you to think without losing the smile.
Local issues, national debates and even international events come together on walls that, rather than hanging drawings, They show small visual chronicles of the moment. Each piece retains the freshness of the improvised, but also the intention of someone who masters the craft to adjust the satire to the context with respect and finesse.
An inauguration with industry leaders
The opening ceremony was attended by the general director of RTVC, Maria Mendez, the Vice President of Parliament, Gustavo Matos, and the journalist and president of the Cine+Comics Foundation, Francisco Pomares, in addition to his own Farruqo. There was no shortage of a group of Social Journalism students, who were able to dialogue with the author and learn firsthand how these lightning-fast cartoons are created.
Méndez underlined the real-time work capacity of the cartoonist and the uniqueness of a regional channel producing press cartoons in front of cameras, live and without a network. Matos, for his part, defended the role of humor as key piece of democratic life, allowing us to question the status quo with subtlety and intelligence.
Pomares appreciated that Televisión Canaria has opted for this format, bringing the cartoon to the screen with an artist capable of synthesizing what happens in the discussion in a matter of minutes. The audience's response, they noted, confirms that there's room on television for reflection and laughter in equal measure.
Live cartoons: an unusual television venture
RTVC has turned these pieces into a signature piece within its programming, a rare practice in the Spanish audiovisual landscape. The combination of immediacy and analysis turns each vignette into a drawn editorial comment that breathes the same air as the news, but with a different perspective.
Farruqo himself acknowledges that this project has been "a gift in a difficult year" because it inspires him to continue in a profession that is "as beautiful as it is demanding." The audience response and the recognition he received on Buenos DÃas Canarias encourage him to continue bringing humor and reflection to the public.
Dates, times and access
The exhibition can be visited in a free until September 26 in the Exhibition Hall of the Parliament of the Canary Islands. The opening hours are Monday to Friday, 10:00 - 14:00 and 17:00 - 20:00, and on Saturday mornings.
After its stay at the parliamentary headquarters in Tenerife, the exhibition is scheduled to travel to the capital of Gran Canaria, thus expanding its reach and bringing the project closer to audiences on different islands.
Farruqo's career and creative approach
Pepe Farruqo (Córdoba, 1974) is a graphic humorist, cartoonist and illustrator with more than two decades of professional career in specialized and general media. His style combines satire, current events, and social engagement, a blend he has refined over time to achieve a highly recognizable voice.
Regarding his process, the author highlights the immediacy and constant observation: he finishes a drawing and is already thinking about the next one. For him, sensitivity is essential: without it, "you can't see what's happening." Looking ahead to his Gran Canaria date, he announced that he will be exhibiting there. a different facet, with works spanning almost three decades of his career, straight from the studio.
Within the framework of the Tenerife Comic Fair
"Tele Canaria's cartoons" is part of the Exhibition catalogue of the 22nd International Comic and Illustration Fair of Tenerife, a program that brings together more than forty in-person exhibitions and a dozen virtual group exhibitions. With this addition, RTVC underscores its commitment to graphic humor as universal and close language to tell the reality.
This exhibition highlights the agility of live broadcasting, journalistic acumen, and the elegance of well-timed humor, while bringing the public a different way of understanding current events: draw it as it happens, with intelligence and sensitivity.