Citizen Art Hotel Fair Shanghai 2013

From May 31 st to June 3 rd the Renaissance Yu Garden Hotel in downtown Shanghai was host to a very special event, the Citizen Art Shanghai fair. On 3 floors and in over 60 rooms, exhibitors from all over Asia – Taipei, Beijing, Fukushima, to mention some – decorated the fancy ****hotel rooms into exclusive exhibition spaces.

before ...

... after

Of course island6 took also part into this illustrious gathering, and in a daily set-up we transformed the run-of-the-mill upper-class room into a chamber of peace and tranquillity. Our gold LED-fish were making themselves comfortable in the cozy hotel bed, while Ling Long Lady caught her reflection all around the mirror cabinet. The perfect sound ambiance was created by our homey Dave, whose spherical chimes and meditative notes have made room number 705 a definite favourite for the numerous visitors to this Art Fair.

During 4 days, mostly Chinese art lovers haven’t ceased dropping into island6’ VIP room, and the positive feedback was overwhelming. The visitors highly appreciated the unique selection of artworks, being amazed at what they “have never seen before”. In no other cultural tradition has nature played a more important role in the arts, than in that of China. And following the mascot of the host, a gaudy rhinoceros marked all over the hotel floors, island6 also chose animal friends for its colourful contribution of flickering LED and vivid canvas for the Fair: quickened butterflies, reflecting goldfish, a bright-spangled crane, an Ash tree as the home for bird lovers, and as a cherry on top of the cake: our special quadruped friend “Domino”.

Our close-to-nature elements have at any rate left an impressive mark to the attendants. All the stories of a world in which what we see is not always the world we perceive.

The islanders were more than happy about the opening of this exhibition, celebrating in a rock ’n roll way of life: pillow fight, bubble bath of champagne and drunken hotel room orgy… Well, maybe this was only wishful thinking, as you know it is in a world in which what we see is not always what we perceive…

On your mark,

get set,

go!

Text: Melani Murkovic

Photos: Aurelien Marechal