Hotel’s art collection is an introduction to Beijing’s contemporary art scene.
Beijing, China, 2012-09-21 — /travelprnews.com/ — Beating to the city’s pulse,Four Seasons Hotel Beijing has amassed an outstanding collection of modern artworks that melds the unique appeal of Beijing’s centuries-old traditions with the vibrancy of its contemporary art scene.
Best described as “contemporary Tang tradition,” the collection showcases traditional Chinese art practices and influences executed with new materials by some of the world’s most innovative modern artists. Inspired by the nature-led creations of the Tang Dynasty – China’s “Golden Age” of art and literature – many of the large murals, paintings, sculptures and ink drawings feature mountainous and landscape themes, while the artists range from local to international stars, reflective of the artistic cultural exchanges prominent during the Tang Dynasty.
At the heart of the collection, Qin Feng’s Landscape of Desires No. 4 & 5 – specially commissioned for the Hotel’s reception – take ink painting and calligraphy to another level, with the movement involved by Feng to paint his work earning it the classification of performance art. His unique form of “gesticular calligraphy” combines the form of bas-relief with the brush and ink gestures of Chinese calligraphy alongside the separation of water and ink. Above all, the two works showcases the Chinese spirit of wu (performance): the pinnacle of rhythm, movement and passion and the most desirable state of artistic expression.
Gracing the lobby entrance, Jin Feng’s striking copper installation,Romancing the Metal, is inspired by the cursive approach of the Tang Dynasty’s master calligrapher Huai-Su. Featuring a strong attachment to language and writing, Feng’s art marries calligraphy and sculpture in a uniquely stylized form. In Opus Lounge, Hong Zhu An’s resplendent ink and colour works explore that most aesthetically and philosophically fundamental aspect of Chinese artistic impression: the line. Through his attempts to reinterpret the line via a portrayal of natural elements, Hong Zhu An’s pieces mesh Eastern and Western aesthetics, and in doing so extend beyond paying homage to the rich culture of China to actively forging its future.
The most prominent of the international works is Australian artist Jayne Dyer’s Butterfly Effect in Beijing 2012, a specially commissioned piece based on the Chinese Peacock Butterfly. In this mesmerizing installation, 400 polished and powder-coated stainless steel butterflies soar up the main atrium wall from the Hotel’s Tea Garden to the skylight 66 metres (217 feet) above. A symbol of longevity and love in China, Dyer’s butterflies bring a delicate, phantasmagorical beauty to the large light-filled atrium.
Elsewhere, everything from decorative sculptures in jade, marble and bronze to vibrant works of glass from Japan adorn walls and cabinets in an international collaboration of contemporary Chinese art and the traditions that moulded it.
“China – and Beijing in particular – is now considered to be in the top three to five contemporary art regions in the world,” explains the Hotel’s General Manager Sanjiv Hulugalle. “As a window to the city, we want to ensure that whatever we feature inside the Hotel is entirely reflective of what is going on outside it. We’re indebted to the artists involved who have made the collection what it is and really hope it inspires our guests to further explore Beijing’s thriving contemporary art scene.”
Beijing’s booming network of artists, architects, designers, collectors, galleries, museums and academics congregate in the city’s rapidly expanding contemporary art regions – pockets of astonishing creativity such as 798 and Caochangdi – that add an often-unexpected aspect to China’s cultural capital. For guests wishing to delve deeper into the city’s contemporary art world, Four SeasonsHotel Beijing can arrange a tailored itinerary to suit personal interests, from tours of specific regions to insider access to private collections. For those with less time to spare, a tour of the Hotel’s own collection is as good a place as any to start.
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Jayne Dyer’s Butterfly Effect in Beijing