Swire Hotels Continues Art Programme Across The House Collective
The House Collective’s first series of ongoing art installations makes its 3rd and 4th stop in Shanghai and Chengdu
September 11, 2019 – The House Collective by Swire Hotels, a group of refined, highly individual properties in Asia, is excited to announce that its first ever art programme, ‘Encounters Across Cultures’ will be showcasing its final two installations at The Middle House in Shanghai and The Temple House in Chengdu this fall. Following the successful launch of the brand’s inaugural programme this spring at The Opposite House in Beijing and The Upper House in Hong Kong, the
upcoming exhibitions will complete the full experience with unique art installations and programming at all four of the brand’s luxury properties.
The House Collective’s Art Programme for 2019, ‘Encounters Across Cultures: Seeds of Life’ celebrates each House’s connection to both local and global cultures through four unique installations at each of the brand’s properties. The House Collective has collaborated with this year’s feature artist, Katja Loher, an award-winning artist known for her video sculptures, changing the face of video art by presenting her work as organic sculptural forms. Inspired by the five Chinese elements – metal, wood, water, fire and earth – Loher’s inventive video works infuse the local culture, dance, costume, art, design and music together, bringing these elements to life at each of the four Houses. At each property, Katja has worked with locally-based artists to create pieces that are reflective of the distinctive environment of each city to help tell the authentic, cultural story of the destination, from contemporary artists at The Opposite House in Beijing to a Feng Shui Designer at The Upper House in Hong Kong.
“Each of The House Collective’s four properties are highly individualized in location and culture, and each installation part of this year’s Art Programme celebrates these distinctive and authentic cities
while also showcasing the universal connection they share,” Said Toby Smith, Managing Director of Swire Hotels. “As a brand who places art and design at our core, we are excited to inspire guests to indulge in their passion for art and culture with our expressive installations, allowing them to further connect with each destination.”
In September 2019, the ‘Encounters Across Cultures: Seeds of Life’ series will continue its third chapter at The Middle House in Shanghai, celebrating the emerging culture of fashion and art. In keeping with Shanghai’s reputation as one of the global fashion capitals with local designers bringing a fresh aesthetic to the scene, The Middle House and Katja Loher have partnered with Shanghai-based design collective Dirty Pineapple In addition to original art pieces by Loher, which are projected throughout The Middle House bringing to life the depictions of the five elements, Dirty Pineapple has created a limited-edition capsule collection that will feature the artist’s expressive work on the fabrics in their signature styles. The exclusive line includes specially designed robes and blazers, all of which will be available to pre-order at the pop-up display at the house.
The installation itself will take guests on an immersive journey starting from the lobby of The Middle House leading to the pool and through the spiral staircase, allowing guests to fully indulge their
genuine passion for art and culture within different spaces of the house. The art installations transform the spaces into an immersive journey through the five elements at the Middle House.
The multi-sensorial journey continues with a special menu of ‘Five Elements’ cocktails, created by The Middle House’s acclaimed Bar Master Gary Hu. Available at Sui Tang Li, guests can enjoy curated drinks that tell the story of the five elements with local and cultural ingredients - from The Golden Buddha, which represents Water and features jasmine tea infused vodka, osmanthus, floral anxi tie guan yin and thymet, crowned by sweet osmanthus flowers and served in traditional Chinese vase-inspired glass, to Her Favourite Boulevardier, representing Fire and comprising of pineapple rum, aperol, vermouth rosso, and sui tang osmanthus cordial, served smoked under a cocktail cloche. The crafting of these artistic cocktails can also be found in the exhibition throughout the property, as Loher incorporated footage of the cocktails being created in her video works.
The final exhibition in The House Collective’s ‘Encounters Across Cultures’ series will launch at The Temple House in Chengdu this November, with a dynamic installation that combines Loher’s modern video sculpture concept with Chinese traditional masters that continue to be a cultural staple in Chengdu. The Temple House and Katja Loher have partnered with local Chinese ink painters, Hao Wu, Director of the Sichuan Artists Association and Yong Ma, Deputy Secretary of the Sichuan Artists Association, to bring to life the art of traditional Chinese ink painting. These ethereal projections of the five elements are grounded by Hao Wu’s ‘paper mountain,’ an original sculpture that features his meticulous calligraphy and represents the element of Earth. Smaller sculptural pieces by Loher, including a Tree and a Nest display more of her video works, bringing earth and heaven come together as the entire universe to ultimately celebrate universal connections. These installations at The Temple House will take guests on a journey throughout the property, flowing from Bi Tie Shi Courtyard, to its Gallery, above the staircase and through to Jing Bar.
The ‘Encounters Across Cultures: Seeds of Life’ programme reflects the distinctive character and sense of style of each house, while celebrating The House Collective’s commitment to art and culture. Known for impeccable modern luxury with warm, friendly and efficient service, The House Collective is comprised of four refined and highly individual houses: The Opposite House in Beijing, The Upper House in Hong Kong, The Temple House in Chengdu and The Middle House in Shanghai.
For further information on ‘Encounters Across Cultures’, please visit: www.the-house-collective.com/en/the-experiences/the-art-programme
For more information, please contact:
Swire Hotels
Teresa Muk
Head of Brand and Communications
Tel: +852 2844 8998
Email: teresamuk@swirehotels.com
Jaime Chua
Senior Marketing Manager
Tel: +852 2844 4068
Email: jaimechua@swirehotels.com
