24 June 2014

THE ART OF HOSPITALITY

An eclectic collection of French and international art works

contrasts contemporary with classic at The Peninsula Paris

An art collection of vibrant contemporary works reflects The Peninsula Paris’ cosmopolitan

elegance and its heritage site near the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysées.

The exciting collection includes artworks by celebrated mid-career and established artists from

France and all over the world, with the overall direction of the art pieces abstract and

contemporary, contrasting with the very classical interior of the former “grand hotel” which

opened in 1908. Meticulously restored over four years, The Peninsula Paris’ soaring volumes

and sweeping galleries, resplendent in gold leaf, original wood panelling and mouldings are the

perfect setting for the diverse assortment of art works, ranging from canvas to crystal, paper to

poetry and more.

The collection was curated by Sabrina Fung of Sabrina Fung Fine Arts Ltd, who also created the

art programmes for the Peninsula hotels in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Given Paris’ status as a

global city, the aim was to create an international art collection, but with particular emphasis on

French artists. Working with artists from France and all over the world whose careers Sabrina

has been watching over the past few years, the collection took almost a year to put together, with

two-thirds of the pieces specially commissioned for The Peninsula Paris.

French artists are represented by the mixed media works of Patricia Erbelding in every

guestroom, bronze and aluminum sculptures by Parisian Nathalie Decoster located in the Katara,

Historic and Terrace suites, Michel Alexis’ oil and gesso painting in the Kléber Gallery and

Deçan’s twin oil paintings in the Historical Suite.

The extensive collection is displayed throughout the hotel, but several key pieces in the public

areas are particularly noteworthy.

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Guests are greeted on arrival in the Lobby by an installation of 800 crystal “dancing leaves”,

referencing the plane trees that line Avenue Kléber. Hand-blown by a veteran artisan at the

Lasvit crystal studio in the Czech Republic, the plane leaf theme continues through the guest lift

lobby and guest room décor elements.

One of the most important pieces in the collection is the “Moon River” sculpture in the Portugais

Gallery, created by Xavier Corberó, widely acclaimed as Spain’s foremost living sculptor.

According to Mr Corberó, his inspiration was “nature, which opens the door to imagination and

imagination opens the doors of reality”, and his magnificent sculpture of a tower of 12 boulders

supporting a large thin marble disc beautifully complements the Lobby’s soft natural mineral

tones and rock accents.

The main lift lobby features a woven silk piece in green by US artist Ryan McGinness, whose

work incorporates graphic elements of corporate signage and logos as a multi-faceted reflection

of contemporary visual culture.

“The World Belongs to Me”, a sculpture by British artists Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu of a

concave mirror surrounded by a rainbow, is displayed inside the courtyard below the model of

the L’Oiseau Blanc bi-plane. The 800-kilogramme stainless steel dome with a circular rainbow

frame acts like a convex mirror, designed to reflect the entire courtyard of The Peninsula Paris,

providing a unique vantage point that allows guests a complete view of their surroundings, all in

one stunning reflection. Jakober says of the new piece “The work is metaphorical because The

Peninsula is about traditional values with a modern twist, and the convex mirror has been used in

art for centuries but is given new life”.

The Cantonese restaurant LiLi features three spectacular art pieces – the large 3 x 3.3 m fibre-

optic hanging depicting the portrait of LiLi at the entrance to the restaurant is a world first, with

an image printed on nylon webbing and net fabric woven through with optical fibre to produce a

glowing, flowing effect never seen before, created by Design Percept founders Clementine

Chambon and Francoise Mamert, in conjunction with Jérome Declercq of Passmentiers Declercq

and The Peninsula’s interior designer Henry Leung.

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Just inside the restaurant, a giant crystal installation in the shape of a traditional Chinese opera

head dress welcomes guests into the restaurant. Korean/New York artist Ran Hwang hammered

almost 33,000 crystals into a plexiglass base to create this glittering tribute to Chinese opera.

Meanwhile a floor-to-ceiling triptych of traditional Chinese paper-cut panels using paper from

Chinese-French dictionaries again spotlights the link between Chinese and French culture. Artist

Jam Wu searched vintage bookstores in Taiwan for a year before finally taking apart seven old

dictionaries to create the intricate lace-like work, with its three panels depicting classic Chinese

architecture, landscape and vegetation and Chinese opera characters.

Continuing the literary theme is a wall-mounted sculpture in the Perouse Gallery by American

artist Simeen Farhat, using strips of French poems cast in pigmented resin, while another

significant piece is the work by Austrian artist Otto Zitko in synthetic enameled paint on

aluminium board on display in the Portugais Gallery.

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About Katara HospitalityKatara Hospitality is a global hotel owner, developer and operator, based in Qatar. With over 40 years’ experience in the industry, Katara Hospitality actively pursues its strategic expansion plans by investing in peerless hotels in Qatar while growing its collection of iconic properties in key international markets. Katara Hospitality has set a target of owning and / or managing 30 hotels by 2016 and 30 more over the following decade. Aiming to become one of the leading hospitality organisations in the world, the company is supporting Qatar’s long term economic vision.

Katara Hospitality currently owns properties spread across three continents, in Qatar, Singapore, The Maldives, Switzerland, France, Italy, Egypt, Morocco, The Gambia and the Union of Comoros. While partnering with some of the finest hotel operators, Katara Hospitality also owns its own operator brands: The Bürgenstock Selection and Merweb Hotels.

www.katarahospitality.com

About The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH) Incorporated in 1866 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00045), The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited is the holding company of a group which is engaged in the ownership, development, and management of prestigious hotels and commercial and residential properties in key locations in Asia, the United States and Europe, as well as the provision of tourism and leisure, club management and other services. The Peninsula Hotels portfolio comprises The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Shanghai, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula Tokyo, The Peninsula New York, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, The Peninsula Bangkok, The Peninsula Manila and The Peninsula Paris (expected opening in 2014). Projects under development include The Peninsula London and The Peninsula Yangon. The property portfolio of the group includes The Repulse Bay Complex, The Peak Tower, The Peak Tramways and St. John’s Building in Hong Kong; The Landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; the Thai Country Club in Bangkok, Thailand, and 21 avenue Kléber in Paris, France.

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For further information, please contact: Ms Anne-Sophie BonnisseauDirector of CommunicationsThe Peninsula Paris19 avenue Kléber, 75116 Paris, FranceTelephone: +33 1 5812 6605Fax: +33 1 5812 9999E-mail: annesophiebonnisseau@peninsula.com Website: www.peninsula.com/paris