You can find art almost anywhere in Abu Dhabi. But look a little harder and you’ll discover some exciting artworks that have been made exclusively for the hotels they’re displayed in.
Wherever you find yourself in the city, you’re sure to come across a large number of paintings, sculptures, statues or murals from an even bigger number of cultures and backgrounds, adorning the walls and halls of the hotel you’re dining at, staying at or merely visiting. TOAD discovered that there are pieces of art in the city that were actually commissioned specifically for that hotel – making each one an art gallery in its own right. We took a trip around a few to discover our favourite pieces..
Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche
Sofitel houses a number of unique artworks thoughout the hotel, but the most interesting are two poems by Jean Cocteau that are immortalised in lithographs around the hotel. Bringing the best literature that France has to offer, and turning it into pieces of wall art for everyone in the hotel to pass by and enjoy, is a stroke of genius – the poetry literally hangs in the air for guests to read. These see-through glass frames, encasing beautiful calligraphy lettering of Coteau’s words, are a rare combination artwork, their simplicity highlighting the power in the poetry itself and giving Sofitel’s atmosphere an extra layer of thoughtful sophistication. Two of Cocteau’s poems, ‘Rèveil’ and ‘Aglae’, make up these installations. The Sofitel brand, originating from France, is clearly keen to weave the best of French culture with Abu Dhabi’s own.
Corniche Road East (02 813 7777).
Emirates Palace
Inside the second most expensive hotel ever built resides a beautiful tapestry of the Emirates Palace itself. It portrays the Palace in vivid hues and delicate ochres that highlight the exotic surroundings of the hotel, with resplendently green palm trees, and a pearly beach and profuse sunlight that defines the hotel’s exquisite features. Meanwhile, there is also another tapestry that displays the wonders of the Palace at night, once the sun has gone down and Abu Dhabi becomes an even more magical place. Made in Thailand, the tapestry of the Palace at daytime took 80 people to drag, lift and eventually hang it on the wall where it resides currently – a feat that’s worth taking in just as much as the tapestry itself.
Ras Al Akhdar (02 690 9000).
Aloft Abu Dhabi
Here’s an installation that’s a bit different from the rest. Earlier this year, Aloft hotel commissioned two graffiti artists to create a gigantic, vibrant mural. Possibly thanks to the popularity of artists such as Banksy, street art has grown a new credence in modern culture, and Aloft saw fit to embrace it into their building and décor. Designed and created by local artists Sya One and Steffi Bow, the piece is a staggering 17 metres wide and took two weekends, a cherrypicker and a lot of spray cans to complete. It’s a beautiful, colourful and above all different offering to most of the other hotels in Abu Dhabi. One of the creators, Bow, extols the virtues of graffiti as art well. ‘If you look at the quality of the stuff being done in Abu Dhabi, that’s going to really, really help people understand what graffiti is about’.
Khaleej Al Arabi Street (02 654 5000).
InterContinental Abu Dhabi
In 2007, the InterContinental hotel went through its most recent major renovation, and the New York-based art production company DiLeanardo helped to give it the chic yet quasi-traditional interior space you see today. The difference here is that possibly the hotel’s most beautiful feature isn’t an art installation, per se, but is the hotel itself; the walls are clad in onyx that is claimed from quarries in Egypt, backlit to change mood throughout the day. There are also the crystal chandeliers, relocated from Spain, that have been specifically placed in the hotel lobby to help guide its guests into the space. There’s also the stylish black granite and white marble floor, meaning that you’re even walking on art when at the InterContinental. The entire design by DiLeanardo constitutes one artistic vision that is in many ways subtle, even with such exotically-located materials. As ‘walk-in art’, this installation is definitely a success.
Al Bateen (02 666 6888).
