Skift Travel News Blog

A new exhibition featuring sustainable art will be opening at the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, thanks to a new collaboration between the hotel, Artbooth Gallery, and a local artist. 

The ‘Sustainable Art Awareness Project’ features the works of Lebanese-born Emirati artist Noura Ali Ramahi, and has been designed to support local artists who embrace sustainable art practices. 

The exhibition will be on display within the public areas of the hotel through November 30, with a special event with the artist taking place on November 13 to coincide with World Kindness Day.

According to a release, Ramahi’s commitment to eco-friendly art mediums dates back to 2018, and sees her draw inspiration from her daily routine. However it is her use of everyday materials – such as wax paper from cheese, cardboard from packages, or retail paper bags – that give her work real impact.

“At Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi, we are strongly committed to sustainability and run several ESG initiatives. As a part of our work with community, the artworks of local talents and artisans are featured throughout the Hotel, including more than 2,000 pieces displayed in public areas and in each guest room and suite. On this World Kindness Day, in collaboration with Noura Ali Ramahi we would like to inspire our guests to make a positive impact on our planet. Through Noura’s innovative use of materials and her profound message of kindness towards nature, she inspires us all to make a difference.” says Bob Suri, general manager, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has expanded its partnership with artist Louis-Nicolas Darbon on a series of travel posters to celebrate the brand’s ongoing partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. 

The series features seven posters inspired by the cities featured in the 2022 Formula 1 season – including Miami, Montreal, Mexico City, Melbourne, Budapest, Singapore and Abu Dhabi – as well as special edition portraits of drivers Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Each poster is available as an original canvas or limited edition print, with signed portraits also available. The canvases and posters are available for purchase here, with all proceeds from the sales being donated to the Sutton Trust, as part of the brands Community Footprints program. 

“The Ritz-Carlton has a long history of giving back,” said Jenni Benzaquen, senior vice president and global brand leader, at The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis in a press release. 

“As we continue to expand our relationship with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, we are proud to support their partner, Sutton Trust, and its commitment to championing social mobility.”

An underwater art exhibition, known as the ‘EDP Art Reef’ is available to visit off the coast of Portugal.

The exhibition, which was created by energy provider EDP in collaboration with Portuguese street artist Vhils, sees materials taken from three retired EDP coal-fired power stations repurposed into an underwater art reef.

The exhibition is located around a mile off the coast of the Algarve, and allows divers – who have the appropriate certifications – to enjoy the 13 art pieces at a depth of 12 metres.

According to the website, the underwater exhibition includes live corals, that will ‘evolve with the tides, varying with the seasons and the years’, and the long-term aim of the project is that nature will eventually take over the installations, and ‘transform the works of art over time into an ecosystem for marine life’.

You can find out how to visit the exhibition here.

Park Hyatt New York has unveiled a new art installation from local contemporary abstract artist and hotel bellman for nine years, Jeffrey Okyere-Agyei.

The “Sankofa” art collection features a mixture of modern abstract art and Ghanaian cloth prints that have been created to highlight Okyere-Agyei’s ‘connection to his Ghanaian heritage while simultaneously representing an important cultural bridge between traditional African art and modern abstract expressionism’.

“My goal with this collection is to express my unique vision of creativity, thus further strengthening my connection between my love of abstract art and my African heritage,” says Okyere-Agyei.

“To be able to continue to tell my story to the guests of Park Hyatt New York, a place crucial to my personal journey, is incredibly humbling.”

Sankofa is a Ghanaian Akan/Twi word and symbol originating from Okyere-Agyei’s native country that represents the idea of gathering wisdom and learning from the past to create a better present and future, and forms part of a larger collection of symbols known as Adinkra created by Ghanaian craftsmen used in textiles and pottery.

“As part of what has become a tradition within the Park Hyatt New York family, we’re excited to feature yet another impressive and personal collection from Jeffrey, while also providing a unique and immersive experience to our guests,” said Park Hyatt New York General Manager, Laurent Ebzant.

“It’s an honor to witness Jeffrey’s art process as he creates such thought-provoking art that celebrates his native Ghana, and it’s our pleasure to continue to share his talent with all who walk through our doors. We look forward to seeing what else he has in store for Park Hyatt New York and our guests.”

The National Gallery of the Faroe Islands launched an exhibition this week containing 40 images of the archipelago developed by artificial intelligence program Midjourney, becoming the first national gallery to feature a fully produced show created by artificial intelligence. 

The exhibit, which runs from September 29 through October 30, reveals how prominent artists — such as Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso — might have depicted the landscape of the remote archipelago in the North Atlantic. Visitors to the national gallery will also have the opportunity to create their own images of the Faroe Islands using Midjourney.

“When I first heard of (artificial intelligence) and Midjourney and how it is possible to create new pictures just like individual artists might have done, it immediately intrigued me,” said Karina Lykke Grand, director of the National Gallery of the Faroe Islands.

“It was fascinating to see how by giving prompts, the system can get an idea of how an artist such as Van Gogh or Picasso might have painted the Faroe Islands.”