ART IN RESIDENCE
In a world that is becoming ever-more chaotic and divisive, art truly transcends language and cultural boundaries, uniting people with a common experience. For five consecutive years, The Peninsula Chicago has staged a series of striking installations to coincide with the annual EXPO Chicago International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art event.
“Art is our one true global language. It knows no nation, it favours no race, and it acknowledges no class. It transcends our ordinary lives and lets us imagine what is possible”, the late artist Richard Kamler once said. Creating memorable experiences is what The Peninsula Hotels strives to do for each and every one of its guests, adding value to their stay. In a world that is becoming ever-more chaotic and divisive, art truly transcends language and cultural boundaries, uniting people with a common experience. For five consecutive years, The Peninsula Chicago has staged a series of striking installations to coincide with the annual EXPO Chicago International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art event.
In 2015, as part of The Peninsula Hotels' group-wide strategy to support public art, The Peninsula Chicago embraced the art community with a significant installation in The Lobby, entitled ‘Alchemy', by renowned Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa and curated by Pearl Lam Galleries. The installation fittingly coincided with the annual EXPO Chicago International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art event.
“As a global luxury hotel brand with a long and storied history, we understand the important place that art holds for humanity – it's an inclusive, universal language that crosses borders and builds connections,” says Peter Borer, Chief Operating Officer, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, owner and operator of The Peninsula Hotels.
The art connection continued with a significant art exhibition at The Peninsula Chicago in September 2016 entitled ‘Whoville', which showcased the work of a number of renowned artists with connections to Chicago. A glimpse into the collecting world of Beth Rudin Dewoody, one of America's most notable collectors, the exhibition highlighted some of Chicago's most prominent artists, past and present, along with a selection of works that either inspire travel and transformative environments or share the fantastical, surreal aesthetic of Dr. Seuss's fictional land ‘Whoville'.
In 2017, The Peninsula Chicago was honoured to feature a significant exhibition of sculptures and furniture by Gaetano Pesce, curated by Salon 94 Design entitled ‘What it is to be Human'. Pesce's ability to break boundaries between art, design and industry married well with that year's celebration of both art and architecture in Chicago. The collection was open to the public and was displayed throughout the hotel on the ground level lobby and the 5th floor main lobby level for a period of one month. “It is our honour to continue to display works that provoke thought, emotion and dialogue. The pieces selected by Salon 94 Design should accomplish this feat,” commented Maria Zec, General Manager of The Peninsula Chicago. “We hope that this collaboration will further elevate the perception of Chicago as a pillar among the world's art community.”
2018 brought a diverse exhibition entitled ‘But I'm on The Guest List!', curated by The FLAG Art Foundation and which brought together the work of contemporary artists including Jennifer Dalton, Elmgreen & Dragset, Ewan Gibbs, Awol Erizku, Josephine Meckseper, Tom Sachs, Cindy Sherman, Yuken Teruya, and Chicago's own Carlos Rolón. The selection of artworks playfully peppered the hotel's public spaces, mingling form and function, high and low culture, and humorously nodding to the trappings of VIP status.
Chicago-based Rolón had two site-specific installations, one of which was his gold leaf and oil painting, ‘Gild the Lily (Decadence upon Decadence IV), 2017 on the hotel's main lobby level, whilst adjacent to The Lobby restaurant, the artist, a first-generation immigrant of Puerto Rican descent, presented an intimate Caribbean seating area entitled ‘Bochinche' after a Spanish slang term for "gossip," responding to the aesthetic beauty and functionality of the space.
"I was truly delighted to present my recent work at The Peninsula Chicago,” said Rolón. “As a Chicago-based artist, it gave me a show in my hometown, and the beautiful environment of The Peninsula served as the perfect backdrop.”
In an effort to create more ongoing art programming throughout the year, The Peninsula launched an Artist-in-Residence programme in the summer of 2018, with a dedicated area of up to seven walls featuring rotating works by up and coming artists, as a way to support and highlight emerging talent. The inaugural programme featured the work of Chicago photographer Lincoln Schatz and painter Darren Jones, whose work was recently prominently displayed across New York as part of the campaign for ‘Cube', the world's largest public contemporary art fair.
In 2019 for the fifth consecutive year, the hotel, in partnership with Kasmin, presented ‘REVERB', an exhibition of contemporary art showcasing works by three artists whose practices explore movement, sound, and electricity, engaging with the rhythm and structure of the urban environment. The featured artists were James Nares, Iván Navarro and Naama Tsabar.
Commenting on these collaborations, Zec aptly sums up their meaningful purposes: “We have partnered with extraordinary creators, collectors and galleries to showcase exceptional artists' work, all with an effort to shine a light on emerging talent, and to transform our lobby to encourage guests to pause, take notice and appreciate the art.”
Looking ahead, The Peninsula Chicago is looking forward to collaborating again with EXPO and artists for its next installation. There is no doubt that the art selected will continue the strong tradition of supporting public art while creating moments of surprise and delight for guests and visitors alike.