Daily Archives: January 13, 2020

Mandarin Oriental, Miami Welcomes the Year of the Metal Rat with Festive Celebrations

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In honor of the Mandarin Oriental Group’s Asian heritage, the Forbes five-star rated Mandarin Oriental, Miami invites guests to celebrate Chinese New Year with a series of special Year of the Metal Rat programs from January 25 to February 3, 2020.

During this time the hotel’s lobby will be adorned with over 100 red lanterns and a giant lucky kumquat tree. Guests will receive a Chinese New Year welcome amenity of traditional red envelopes to hang from the branches of the kumquat tree to bring good fortune. Other festivities range from unforgettable dining experiences including a new exquisite Dim Sum experience to a colorful Chinese Lion Dance performance and unique Spa treatments.

Mandarin Oriental, Miami

Year of the Metal Rat Celebration

To begin the new year guests are invited to view an exciting Chinese Lion Dance which will take place in the hotel’s lobby on January 25, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be accompanied by beating drums, cymbals and gongs. True to tradition, rousing lion dance performances are a colorful spectacle that capture the spirit of the season, and are said to bring good luck to the households and businesses they visit.

Chinese New Year Dining

MO Bar + Lounge will serve a traditional Dim Sum buffet nightly from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring delicacies such as spring rolls and Shu Mei paired with sweet chili sauce and lemongrass. Dim Sum is USD25 per person and is available January 25 to February 2. Guests can also toast to the Lunar New Year with a “Good Fortune” cocktail made with mandarin orange vodka to symbolize the good luck that oranges are said to bring at this time of year.

La Mar by Gastón Acurio, the hotel’s high energy Peruvian restaurant will serve Asian-inspired specials in honor of Chinese New Year. Sumptuous dishes include pork and shrimp wonton with tamarind sauce and steamed brazino with fermented soy beans sauce, Chinese mushrooms, vegetables and fried rice.

Escape the Rat Race at the Spa

Spa enthusiasts will usher in the Year of the Metal Rat in a calm and harmonious state with unique treatments at The Spa. The “Escape the Rat Race” tension-busting massage uses custom-blended oils and movements inspired by traditional Asian therapies to treat stress that is often held in the back, neck and shoulders.

Rats represent fertility in China, and The Spa will offer a maternity and prenatal massage treatment delivered by specially trained therapists for soon-to-be mothers to help alleviate stress. Spa treatments begin at USD 165.

Guests can also pay homage to the Year of the Metal Rat with a nail art manicure that includes metal designs featuring tokens of good luck.

A “Tray of Togetherness” platter with symbolic candies, fruits, nuts, and coins that is traditionally shared with friends and family at Chinese New Year, will be available at The Spa’s relaxation area for guests to enjoy.

Contemporary in design and with a prominent waterfront location, the luxurious Mandarin Oriental, Miami – launched in 2000 – features 326 elegant guest rooms and suites – offering dramatic views of the bay and the Miami skyline. Amenities include two high-energy restaurants, waterfront Peruvian punch cocktail lounge YAKU by La Mar, MO Bar + Lounge – a sophisticated cocktail lounge and martini bar, an award-winning tri-level spa, luxury boutique Karma Gift Shoppe and extensive meeting and business facilities.

For reservations, please visit www.mandarinoriental.com or contact the hotel directly on +1 (305) 913 8383, toll free (866) 888 6780.

Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid to Open in Summer 2020

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The iconic Hotel Ritz, Madrid is set to open in Summer 2020 as Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid, following the most extensive restoration in its 110-year history.

A belle époque palace in Madrid’s ‘Golden Triangle’, the formerly-known Hotel Ritz Madrid has long been a pinnacle of style and luxury in Madrid. A lively gathering place for Spanish high society, the hotel’s restaurants and bars are a constant buzz of activity. Its leafy outdoor terrace is especially popular for a traditional summer Sunday brunch following a stroll in the nearby Retiro Park.

The hotel, which was designed and built under the supervision of legendary hotelier César Ritz, first opened its doors in 1910. The restoration will significantly enhance the hotel’s facilities and services, while maintaining its unique character, encapsulated in the Belle Époque style of the original building. Spanish architect, Rafael de La-Hoz, has been instrumental in providing the context for the historical restoration, while French designers, Gilles & Boissier, have overseen the interiors with the aim of increasing the property’s appeal to local and international guests alike while celebrating César Ritz’s pioneering spirit. The re-design of the public spaces has focused on restoring the hotel’s many fine interior architectural features, while incorporating a number of valuable artistic pieces from the property’s collection, including crystal chandeliers, antique paintings and sculptures.

The hotel has always been an intregral part of society in Spain’s capital, and has been host to royalty, politicians, corporate leaders and celebrities. It is situated within the ‘Golden Triangle of Art’, an area defined by the most important museums in the city – the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía Museum of Modern Art. The property’s location within a prestigous residential area close to Madrid’s financial and commercial district and to the aforementioned El Retiro Park, adds to its appeal.

“We are proud and excited to be opening Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid this summer, our second hotel in Spain. The meticulous restoration is designed to ensure that this legendary property is once again recognised as one of Europe’s greatest hotels,” said James Riley, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. “We are confident that the local community will be even more proud of this historic landmark, and we look forward to providing our guests with memorable experiences, in majestic surroundings, all underpinned by Mandarin Oriental’s exceptional service,” he added.

Guestrooms and Suites: Gilles & Boissier have created a sophisticated design for the hotel’s new guestrooms, encapsulating a classic but contemporary residential style for the 153 rooms including 53 suites. Within the suite inventory, there are several one-of-a-kind speciality suites, featuring unique design elements inspired by the hotel’s historic connections to the city, Spanish culture and art. A spacious Royal Suite and the Presidential Suite feature magnificent views over the Prado museum. Located in the top floor turrets are two new suites, each with private balconies and views over the Prado Museum and Lealtad Square.

Restaurants and Bars: Chef Quique Dacosta, one of the most celebrated chefs in Spain, has been appointed to design, develop and oversee all culinary operations at the hotel’s five restaurants and bars. The award-winning chef is renowned for the three Michelin starred restaurant, Dénia, in Alicante, and the two Michelin starred El Poblet restaurant in Valencia. At Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid, a signature Quique Dacosta restaurant, overlooking the famous hotel garden, is set to be a destination in its own right. All day dining and traditional afternoon tea will be served in the elegant surroundings of The Palm Court, under a spectacular glass canopy ceiling that formed an integral part of the original building but had been lost for 80 years and will be reconstructed. Guests will also be able to dine in the Ritz Garden or enjoy the charm of the Ritz Bar. Finally, the Champagne Bar will offer an ever-changing selection of exclusive champagnes paired with a signature tapas menu.

“I am very excited to work on the culinary offering of Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid to provide unique gastronomic experiences across all restaurants, bars and banquet facilities,” said Quique Dacosta.

“We look forward to welcoming Quique Dacosta to Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid. His desire to deliver more than a culinary experience, with his sense of creativity and his unique character, matches perfectly our mission to delight and satisfy our guests,” said Gérard Sintès, General Manager of Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid.

Leisure & Wellness: The hotel’s new leisure and wellness facilities include a heated indoor swimming pool, a vitality pool, experience showers, a steam room and a contemporary fitness centre. A dedicated treatment room has been designed as a hidden sanctuary, providing a range of exclusive local and signature beauty and massage treatments.

Event Spaces: As one of the most iconic buildings in the Spanish capital, Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid is ideally placed for memorable social events. The ballroom and functions spaces, with their large windows facing the Prado Museum will be beautifully restored and designed to ensure the hotel is once again the venue of choice for weddings, private dinners and parties.

Walker Art Center Announces Extensive 2020–2021 Exhibition Schedule Highlights

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The Walker Arts Center continues to flesh out what is considerably a very dynamic exhibition schedule for the next two years. Additions to the Walker Art Center’s 2020–2021 exhibition schedule include two new solo exhibitions by female artists, Faye Driscoll: Thank You for Coming (February 27–June 14, 2020) and Candice Lin (April 17–August 29, 2021) as well as a Walker collection show of women artists, Don’t let this be easy (July 16–March 14, 2021). For her first solo museum exhibition, Faye Driscoll incorporates a guided audio soundtrack, moving image works, and props to look back across the entirety of her trilogy of performances Thank You For Coming—Attendance (2014), Play (2016), and Space (2019)—works that were presented and co-commissioned by the Walker and subsequently toured around the world over the past six years. Another newly added exhibition, Candice Lin, is the first US museum solo show by the artist, co-organized by the Walker Art Center and the Carpenter Center for Visual Arts (CCVA). Lin is creating a site-specific installation that responds to the space of the gallery at each institution, allowing the shape of the work to evolve over the course of its presentation.

The Walker-organized exhibition Don’t let this be easy highlights the diverse and experimental practices of women artists spanning some 50 years through a selection of paintings, sculptures, moving image works, artists’ books, and materials from the archives.

The initiative is presented in conjunction with the Feminist Art Coalition (FAC), a nationwide effort involving more than 60 museums committed to social justice and structural change.

Other upcoming exhibitions include An Art Of Changes: Jasper Johns Prints, 1960–2018 (February 16–September 20, 2020), a survey of six decades of Johns’ work in printmaking drawn from the Walker’s complete collection of the artists’ prints including intaglio, lithography, woodcut, linoleum cut, screenprinting, lead relief, and blind embossing; The Paradox of Stillness: Art, Object, and Performance (formerly titiled Still and Yet) (April 18–July 26, 2020), is an exhibition that rethinks the history of performance featuring artists whose works include performative elements but also embrace acts, objects, and gestures that refer more to the inert qualities of traditional painting or sculpture than to true staged action.

Additional exhibitions include Michaela Eichwald’s (June 13–November 8, 2020) first US solo museum presentation, bringing together painting, sculpture, and collage from across the past 10 years of her practice; Designs for Different Futures (September 12, 2020 – January 3, 2021)—a collaborative group show co-organized by the Walker Art Center, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago—brings together about 80 dynamic works that address the challenges and opportunities that humans may encounter in the years, decades, and centuries to come; Rayyane Tabet (December 10, 2020– April 18, 2021), a solo show by the Beirut-based multidisciplinary artist featuring a new installation for the Walker that begins with a time capsule discovered on the site of what was once an IBM manufacturing facility in Rochester, Minnesota.

OPENING EXHIBITIONS

CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS



Photo Credit: Flags I, 1973. Screenprint on paper, 27 3/8 x 35 ½ in. ed. 3/65. Collection Walker Art Center, Gift of Judy and Kenneth Dayton, 1988. © Jasper Johns/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

An Art Of Changes: Jasper Johns Prints, 1960–2018, February 16–September 20, 2020. Gallery B/Target

When Jasper Johns’s paintings of flags and targets debuted in 1958, they brought him instant acclaim and established him as a critical link between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. In the ensuing 60 years, Johns (US, b. 1930) has continued to astonish viewers with the beauty and complexity of his paintings, drawings, sculpture, and prints. Today, he is considered one of the 20th century’s greatest American artists.

Artist: Jasper Johns Title: Figure 7 from the Color Numeral Series Date: 1969 Medium: lithograph on paper Accession number: 1985.319 Credit Line: Gift of Kenneth Tyler, 1985. Repro Rights: VAGA; Art copyright Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.
Artist: Jasper Johns Title: Target Date: 1960 Medium: lithograph on paper Accession number: 1988.181 Credit Line: Gift of Judy and Kenneth Dayton, 1988. Repro Rights: VAGA; Art copyright Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

In celebration of the artist’s 90th birthday, An Art of Changes surveys six decades of Johns’s work in printmaking, highlighting his experiments with familiar, abstract, and personal imagery that play with memory and visual perception in endlessly original ways. The exhibition features some 90 works in intaglio, lithography, woodcut, linoleum cut, screenprinting, and lead relief—all drawn from the Walker’s comprehensive collection of the artist’s prints.

Target, 1974
Screenprint on paper
35 1/8 x 27 3/8 inches
Collection Walker Art Center, Gift of Judy and Kenneth Dayton, 1988
© Jasper Johns/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Artist: Jasper Johns Title: Untitled Date: 2000 Medium: linocut on paper Accession number: 2001.197 Credit Line: Gift of the artist, 2001. Repro Rights: VAGA; Art copyright Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.
Artist: Jasper Johns Title: Untitled Date: 2016 Medium: Linoleum-cut on paper Accession number: 2017.6 Credit Line: Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Gift of the artist, 2017. Photo by Gene Pittman for Walker Art Center.
Artist: Jasper Johns Title: Fragment of a Letter Date: 2010 Medium: intaglio on paper Accession number: 2011.59.1-.2 Credit Line: Gift of the artist, 2011. Repro Rights: VAGA; Art copyright Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.
Artist: Jasper Johns Title: Between the Clock and the Bed Date: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on paper Accession number: 1991.155 Credit Line: Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Stacy Roback, 1991. Repro Rights: VAGA, Art © Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. Photo by Gene Pittman for Walker Art Center.

Organized in four thematic sections, the show follows Johns through the years as he revises and recycles key motifs over time, including the American flag, numerals, and the English alphabet, which he describes as “things the mind already knows.” Some works explore artists’ tools, materials, and techniques. Others explore signature aspects of the artist’s distinctive mark-making, including flagstones and hatch marks, while later pieces teem with autobiographical imagery. To underscore Johns’s fascination with the changes that occur when an image is reworked in another medium, the prints will be augmented by a small selection of paintings and sculptures.

Artist Jasper Johns at work in his studio
Artist: Jasper Johns Title: Savarin Date: 1977 Medium: Lithograph on paper Accession number: 1988.276 Credit Line: Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Gift of Judy and Kenneth Dayton, 1988. Repro Rights: VAGA, Art © Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

Curator: Joan Rothfuss, guest curator, Visual Arts.

  • Exhibition Tour
    Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh: October 12, 2019–January 20, 2020
    Walker Art Center, Minneapolis: February 16–September 20, 2020
    Grand Rapids Art Museum, Michigan: October 24, 2020–January 24, 20    21
    Tampa Art Museum, Florida: April 28–September 6, 2021
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