Can a hotel become a museum of contemporary art? Interview with 21c curator Alice Gray Steites

Above: Views of a night viewing room, and paintings by Ruth Owens

Oh, pardon my coastal ignorance! You just announced the nightly immersive suite. It is described as a “sleep installation” and a “sensory experience” in which “moving light reveals animated magic hidden in the forest, which reminds us of the vibrant life we ​​continue to sleep.”

I think it’s an easy and even moving experience, or to be honest, it depends on my mood. Can you explain this newly added?

What if the visitor is at a loss?

Chris Doyle Night view It’s a truly unique and magical experience you can only visit in 21c Cincinnati, Bentonville and Lexington; there’s nothing like it anywhere in the world in a museum or hotel. During the day, this space immerse guests in a charming forest-style dream. Custom designed wall coverings, carpets and curtains envelop the room in a whimsical world – part surreal landscape, part cinematic fantasy, reminiscent of magical miracles Fantasy.

As night fell, the suite woke up. The projected lights animate the walls and bring the environment to life. In the living space, searchlights cast changing geometric forms, while the bedroom reveals the ethereal birds in flight – an ever-evolving display of motion, shadows and colors that capture the mystery and energy of the forest after the dark.

We have been staying at night and the feedback we received is very positive. People really like to see the predictions of light and the birds in flight (you can “calculate the goose” to fall asleep in the bedroom). A simple power-on lighting switch controls the projection, so if you’d rather pick up a color image on the walls and carpet, turn it off!

Your Exhibition Refuge: Need, Seeking, Building Shelter, Now 21 degrees Celsius in Durham, addressing the environmental and refugee crisis. Last year, the region was also hit by a devastating storm. It was a very difficult exhibition, but the timing was a bit troublesome…

Yes, the exhibition does resonate particularly in that place after suffering a devastating storm in Carolina, but today’s climate crisis and immigration are affecting communities around the world, so the exhibition will be related to wherever it is installed. The disasters created by nature and man are unpredictable, so we cannot and will not conceive with those people. Our goal is to showcase the vision and voice of contemporary artists that need to be seen and heard, and can inspire dialogue and connection. I do believe artists are often unquestionably prescient, which is why we should all focus on their work if we want to know our world, past, present and future.

Each museum hotel displays famous modern modern artists, but it seems that every 21c location has access to the local artist network, with smaller satellite exhibitions on display…

21c is more than just a hotel or restaurant; everyone is a community cultural space, and we hope local artists can feel at home here and hope they find opportunities! Starting in Louisville, Deborah Berke and her team designed spaces on each guest room floor to showcase work borrowed by local and regional artists, allowing guests to visit from each city to experience the community’s canned art culture. Therefore, we call the program “promoting to 21c”, also called it the program to expand the audience’s awareness and recognize the works of these artists. It’s so successful that we now install elevated exhibitions in other spaces, inside and outside, in small galleries, dining room lounges and exterior walls, and more. All this is possible because our museum managers are with their community (each 21C has dedicated museum managers), visit artists’ studios, galleries, MFA exhibitions and more.

If guests are interested in the artwork on display, we will connect with the artist or their gallery; 21c is not involved in the commercial aspects of these transactions. The Elevate program is also a helpful way to provide new art for a permanent collection. Through various elevation plans, about twelve works have been added. The artists participate in a wide range of cultural events, speak and perform, just like all 21c museum programs, free and open to the public.

“People really like to look at the predictions of light and the birds in flight (you can ‘count geese’ to fall asleep in the bedroom)…”