The Park Hotel Tokyo (Shiodome Media Tower), in December 2012, started the “Artist in Hotel” project where an artist decorates an entire guestroom. The project is still in progress. By 2016, all the guestrooms on the 31st floor will be so decorated, and the “Artist Room Cherry blossoms”, the 13th in the series, has now been completed.
“Artist in Hotel” is the hotel version of “Artist in Residence”. The artist himself stays in the hotel, absorbs the atmosphere of the hotel while partaking of its facilities and services, and fashions a hotel room into a work of art. Inspired by the “Japanese sense of aesthetics”, the artist paints directly on the walls of the room as if it were a tapestry, and affixes original paintings and objects to the walls so that the entire room becomes a room with the artist’s view of the world. These rooms, which evoke typical Japanese themes like “Sumo” and “Zen”, are primarily offered to overseas guests, and are highly appreciated.
The 13th room, “Cherry blossoms”, was the motif chosen by the Japanese artist Hiroko Otake who began it on 16th December 2014, and completed it on 16th January 2015.
Ms. Otake says: “Japanese people took art into their everyday life with sliding doors and folding screens, from a long time ago”. I decorated a guest room by painting a cherry tree, so that the corners of the room were like the folds of a folding screen. As soon as you enter the room, you see a big cherry tree covering the bed. By drawing cherry blossoms like butterflies which are a symbol of transiency or the soul, I expressed the beauty of the end of life. As it flies around the room, a butterfly expresses the cycle of the four seasons – spring, summer, fall and winter. And I did the gay golden clouds beyond the cherry tree with about 400 gold leaves carefully affixed one by one.
When you stretch out on the bed, butterflies in the shape of cherry blossoms will dance all around you. But outside the window, you will see an urban landscape against the scenic backdrop of Tokyo Tower. This contrast reminds us that all things are transient. I hope you enjoy the Japanese sense of beauty in the artist’s room “Cherry blossoms”, with its falling cherry blossoms.
【Artist Room Cherry blossoms Outline】
Opening: 1st February, 2015 (online and phone reservations accepted)
Room: Double occupancy, 22 square meters
Bed size: 1600 x 1950 mm
Rate: 35,000 yen per night for two persons (including taxes and service charges)
<<Discount service>> 10% discount and free breakfast for guests staying for two nights
Reservation and other questions: +81-3-6252-1100
[Cooperation] Shinobazu gallery
[Producer] ART FACTORY’S IKI, creative unit moon
【Hiroko Otake Profile】
Japanese-Style painter born in 1980 in Gifu Prefecture. Guraduated from Japanese painting course at Tokyo University of the Arts. (Master’s course : 2009, Doctor’s digree : 2011) 2011 – 2014, Reserch Assistant, Tokyo University of the Arts (TUA) Japanese Painting, Department of Painting. 2014, the Emerard Grant Aword, Tokyo University of the Arts (TUA)
2015 “AFINITIES” AMBIT Gallery Barcelona,
Spain “colors –relative and accordance-“ Art Factory’s –IKI- Grope Show/ Tokyu Shibuya department store Art Gallery
2014 “Japanese Flowers” IAM Gallery New York, USA
Art Fair Tokyo 2014 “Hiroko Otake Solo Exhibition” Tokyo International Forum , Tokyo, Japan
Art Factory’s –IKI- Grope Show/ Tokyu Shibuya department store Art Gallery
*As of 12th February, other artists are working on the 12th room, “Landscape”.
*You are welcome to observe the work and do an interview while the room is being created.
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Contact Details
Park Hotel Tokyo, PR, Emi Sotome
Email: sotome@shibaparkhotel.com
Shiodome Media Tower 1-7-1 Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku 105-7227, Tokyo
TEL: +81(0)3-6252-1111(Hotel) FAX:+81(0)3-6252-1001
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