Hotels Being Transformed Into Art Galleries
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Local hotels are becoming more like art galleries, displaying various art works and even holding art exhibitions.
The general manager of W Seoul-Walkerhill believes that the role of a hotel should change to offer more than just accommodation and meals.
``Fifteen or 17 years ago, a hotel was only about bed and breakfast,'' Nick Heath said. ``(But) a hotel is now a place of lifestyle. As culture and art is a very important part of modern lifestyle, hotel as a cultural space is not only a fashion but passion.''
To meet the new demand, the hotel will hold a contemporary art exhibition from Sept. 4 through 14.
Titled ``Soft Power,'' the exhibition will be held to celebrate the First World Women's Forum. The inaugural event is co-organized by MBC and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
Art works by contemporary artists such as Choi Jeong-hwa, Chang Young-Hae and Nathalie Djurberg will be on display in the hotel's lobby Living Room and the WooBar cafe.
Art lunch and tea programs, priced 50,000 won and 30,000 won, respectively, are currently available along with a professional art guide during the exhibition period. For more information, call (02) 2022-0000.
Millennium Seoul Hilton has already offered its lobby as a venue for an art exhibition of pop singer-turned-artist Cho Young Nam.
Titled ``Cho Young-nam Art Show in Hilton,'' the exhibition shows off about 40 art works by Cho. It will run through Oct. 26.
Although not all the hotels are holding art exhibitions, lobbies of the nation's five star hotels can be seen as free art galleries with various art works on display.
The Grand InterContinental Seoul and COEX InterContinental Seoul are exhibiting works by famous Korean artists in an effort to support local artists as well as to allow guests to enjoy the works of art.
``The hotel lobby can be both an upscale cultural space and an art museum without an entrance fee,'' Oliver Horn, the resident manager of InterContinental Hotels Seoul, said. ``Only in a deluxe hotel can a visitor enjoy live music and take their time to appreciate fine art.''
The Grand InterContinental Seoul currently houses about 80 art works _ 43 oil paintings, 11 Oriental paintings, 11 sculptures and 15 prints.
They include ``On Air Project 110-8 Park Avenue'' by Kim Atta, ``Drop of Water'' by Kim Tschang Yuel, ``Depiction'' by Park Seo-bo and ``Time-Memory'' by Kim Yu Jun.
The COEX InterContinental Seoul exhibits a total of 73 art works _ 31 oil paintings, six sculptures, 25 prints and three installation art works. The work by renowned late Korean American video artist Paik Nam-jun, ``Paradise Now'' in 1999, is also on display.