Exhibitions, performances, installations and land art. From Florence to Sicily, when art is inside the hotel
Historic palaces full of contemporary sculptures, castles immersed in the countryside that surprise with site-specific works, exhibitions, performances, installations. The red line that binds the art world to the most sophisticated hôtellerie is not so thin. A bit like it used to be, when, in the nineteenth century, sculptors, writers, musicians and painters took part in the Grand Tour, stopping in residences and hotels in search of views and inspirations. Today as yesterday, the high-level hotels are transformed into artist residences, hosting original works between halls and courtyards, which transform each room into a gallery.
Art and play intertwine in the exclusive halls of one of the most famous hotels in Italy, the historic The Westin Excelsior Rome, cradle of the Dolce Vita in the Sixties, still loved today for the history it contains in its refined environments. Here from 16 September it will be possible to admire #PlayWell, the new collective dedicated to gaming, exhibited in the common areas of the hotel on Via Veneto, in exclusive collaboration with the Roman galleries Ex Elettrofonica and Gilda Lavia. The exhibition, open to the public and hotel guests, will be open until 30 November and will exhibit the works of the artists Marco Bernardi, Agostino Iacurci and Leonardo Petrucci. It is an interactive exhibition, in which visitors will have an active part in the exhibition by touching and interacting, through a large wooden chessboard and paper origami, the works of Leonardo Petrucci. Then you can bounce your gaze between the colorful and lively sculptures of Agostino Iacurci, or stop to have fun with Marco Bernardi’s toys and paradoxical objects.
Remaining in the capital, art, creativity and history meet at the Hotel de La Ville in Rome, Rocco Forte Hotels. The many shades of the Eternal City have stimulated the artist Sabine Marcelis in the creation of the original work that will be presented on September 28 and established in the inner courtyard of the building in the historic center. Inspired by his stay in Rome in the iconic palace on Via Sistina, the Dutch artist has created a precious sculpture that captures the spirit of the city and its colors, its energy. Not only that, the work of Marcelis, which will become part of the hotel’s private collection, gives life this autumn to a series of artistic walks, which will take guests to retrace the places dear to the artist, places more or less known. of the Capital, who obtained Sabine in the creation of the sculpture. The artistic walk is an immersive itinerary to do on foot, starting from the Hotel de la Ville, a stone’s throw from Trinità dei Monti, curated by the agency of Corinna Turati: walking among the most famous monuments such as the Pantheon and hidden corners of the center, glimpses of great charm are revealed, secret gardens, a historic bookshop or an ancient library, and you discover a Rome different from the usual, to be observed with the eyes of an artist.
Painted villages, between Tuscany and Puglia, the best murals to discover on vacation
by Sara Ficocelli
A profound partnership binds the historical world of art to the locations of the Belmond group. The latest cultural project was born in collaboration with one of the most important galleries on the international scene. Mythical is the title of the project launched by Galleria Continua in collaboration with the British company specializing in luxury tourism, it is a journey through the wonders of Italy, enriched by contemporary art to be admired in palaces, villas and castles full of charm. With Mitico, Belmond tries to create environments in which visitors can fully experience art, culture and nature, breaking down barriers to open the doors to those who share the same passion.
The first of the four chapters of the artistic journey is located in the historic Casanova Gardens of the Cipriani Hotel in Venice, one of the symbolic hotels of the Serenissima. In the large park surrounding the property, the Indian artist Subodh Gupta exhibits, until November 19, the work Cooking The World, selected by the curator Hervé Mikaeloff. The installation consists of a large house fashioned from pots, pans and utensils, all objects discarded by previous owners and, as such, evidence of past life stories. In Cipriani’s on Giudecca Island, which in the eighteenth century were the meeting point for Venetian citizens, as well as Giacomo Casanova’s favorite place to woo his loved ones, guests will be able to deepen the importance of sharing and transmitting cultural values .
The next stop is Villa San Michele, one of the most luxurious hotels in Florence, with the facade attributed to Michelangelo, housed in a Renaissance monastery and surrounded by terraced gardens that dominate the city from the hill of Fiesole. Here, until 7 November 2022, the Argentine artist Leandro Erlich exhibits Window & Ladder, a site-specific installation in the garden, with a window open between heaven and earth, to be reached (metaphorically) with a ladder, wide open on the infinite: the view is unique, on the cradle of the Renaissance. The cultural and artistic homage to Tuscany continues inside, under the frescoes of the Last Supper by Nicodemo Ferrucci in the former refectory (which date back to the seventeenth century), the artist has closed a cloud in a glass box, The Cloud, composed of numerous floating glass plates that create an optical illusion, a three-dimensional cloud that appears to float lightly in space.
In Tuscany, the artistic path of the Mythic project continues at Castello di Casole, home in the seventies of Luchino Visconti, with a history that is intertwined with the Etruscan origins of the area: here, in fact, the noble Bargagli, the previous owners, found a series of rare Etruscan finds, now exhibited in the nearby archaeological museum of Casole d’Elsa. Today in the magnificent estate, one of the largest in Italy, it is possible to admire the installation entitled L’Etrusco until November 14th. Caressing the trees, four bronze sculptures by Michelangelo Pistoletto: among the secular trees of the estate, the statues depicting the Etruscans seem to invite an embrace with nature. The hotel’s estate is ideal for exploring the luxuriant nature that inhabits it.
Finally, flying to Sicily, the journey to Italy signed by Belmond and Galleria Continua continues at the Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina, where you can discover Pascale Marthine Tayou’s project, Coloring the World, two installations, exhibited until December 31st, which reproduce his work Les Routes du Paradis, the path of happiness, a colorful path that, starting from the majestic entrance of the hotel, leads through the more than two hectares of the property’s gardens to the magnificent 3rd century Greek Theater, inviting guests to discover the enchanting exteriors of the structure. Four human-sized crystal totems are arranged along the path. The sculptures, entitled Totem Cristal, appropriate unique characteristics and personalities and, thanks to the decorations and elements of various origins, represent the process of creolization, the mixing of different people and cultures. In the area of the hotel Tayou explores movement, the meaning of individuals moving through time and space, how this influences