Check in for cultural experience at hotels

By Kim Rahn

Hotels these days are not places offering only bed, food and beverages. They are becoming places of total leisure and cultural complexes, providing programs and even art pieces to satisfy guests’ aesthetic palate.

Some hotels have artwork produced by world famous artists. If guests don’t just pass paintings and sculptures displayed in hotels and pay a little more attention to them, they may find surprisingly valuable works by artists such as Paik Nam-june and Pablo Picasso.

Gilbert & George at InterContinental

In the lobby of Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, the “Britishers” (2008) by British artistic duo Gilbert & George is displayed.

The collaborative team depicts the human body, and other artistic works including movies, photos, drawings and performances, as sculpture. Through these “sculptures,” they have demolished the border between art and life, and between different forms of art.

The winners of the Turner Prize from the Tate Gallery in 1986 represented the United Kingdom at the Venice Biennale in 2005. They also held a retrospective exhibition at the Tate Modern Gallery in 2007.

Another artwork in the lobby is “Stadion 9 VIII” (2008) by Ralph Fleck, a German artist known for his unique style of painting using a knife instead of brush.

Australian artist Konrad Winter’s “Paris, Cafe de Flore” is also displayed. The art piece was painted with automotive paint on an aluminum panel. Winter has been recognized mainly in the European art industry including at Salzburg, Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt.

Some Korean artists’ works are also available, including “Drop of Water” by Kim Tschang-yuel, “Barley Field” by Lee Sook-ja and “Chrysler Building” by Im Sang-bin.

Besides these, the hotel has a collection of 150 art pieces including paintings, sculptures and antique furniture.

The InterContinental Seoul COEX showcases “Paradise Now,” work by one of the most famous Korean artists, Paik Nam-june. Guest can enjoy many other art pieces at galleries located in the hotel arcade.

“We are putting a significant amount of effort into maximizing the use of space within the hotel to search for and promote a wide range of artwork representing the past, present and future. It is expected to serve as a delightful experience for all to enjoy great art in a luxurious hotel, free of charge,” an InterContinental spokesman said.

Pablo Picasso at the Shilla

The Shilla Seoul has displayed artwork by Bahk Seon-ghi to present the hotel’s unique vision. His “An Aggregate 100810” (2011), displayed in the lobby, is made up of thousands of clear, sparkling acrylic beads in various shapes such as rectangles, hemispheres and cones hung on nylon strings, maximizing the beauty of space by adding mass and volume.

“The beads perfectly blend into the lobby decor. The sparkle of the beads, the fluidity and irregularity with which they are hung, is a rhythmical feast for the senses. With soft wind, the nylon strings gently move to fill the entire lobby with warmth,” a Shilla spokesman said.

In the VIP bar of The Library are eight prints by Pablo Picasso, the founder of Cubism. These classic Cubist works are well balanced with the contemporary interior to meet the sensory expectations of guests who enjoy cigars and wine.

The hotel also boasts a large collection of works by other foreign artists. In The Parkview restaurant, American pop artist Tom Wesselmann’s witty prints, including “Woman in a Green Blouse,” are hung. Also displayed are eight works by Bill Thompson, whose motif is small and irregular patterns in various color tones.

Other pieces The Shilla has include “Subterfuge” by minimalist and Op Art pioneer Tony Delap; the five-meter-tall sculpture, “Untitled,” by Eric Orr; and a vast curbstone decoration and “Sun” relief by Jhun Kuk-kwang.

The hotel also has an outdoor exhibition in its Sculpture Park, which serves as a place for relaxation and refreshment where guests can enjoy the artistic works among beautiful views and clean air, walking along a 1.6-kilomter trail.

Twenty-one sculptures in the park include “Woman Playing a Flute” by Paik Hyun-ok; “Monyeosang” (Illusion) and “Twin Rainbow” by Kim Chang-hee; and “Things Become Clear With Eyes Closed” and “Seated Woman” by Ko Jung-soo.

“The Shilla Seoul has other numerous artistic exhibitions not limited to sculptures but including ceramics, engravings and folk paintings. The joy of meeting with the world’s famous artistic works is a not-to-be-missed bonus for your stay in The Shilla,” the spokesman said.

Dale Chihuly at Walkerhill

Sheraton Grande Walkerhill has a collection of sculptures, ranging from glass work to Pop Art.

American glass sculptor Dale Chihuly’s “Walkerhill Chandelier” is hung from the hotel’s lobby ceiling. Chihuly is famous for the glass installation “Fiori di Como” in the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.

Another colorful glasswork by the sculptor, “Persian Festival Set,” is displayed on the second floor.

In the lobby lounge Pavilion is a giant silver sculpture with rounded loops. Titled “Caracas,” the beautifully shaped geometric design by Brad Howe features picturesque curves. Near the lobby is also Clive Gray’s “Bamboo Grove,” giant missile-shaped black pillars with pointed ends.

Korean artist Kim Taek-sang’s “Hue of Time” decorates the wall near the bar Sirocco. The beautiful shades of color were created by spreading dye-colored water onto canvas and waiting for it to seep in, and then repeating the process numerous times after drying.

The hotel’s Opera Gallery near the duty free store also introduces artwork with the changing of the season. Some works displayed include “Waiting for You” and “Pinecrest Peacock” by pop artist Romero Britto.