For art aficionados around the world, being surrounded by thought-provoking art is like stepping into paradise. Now imagine yourself going on an art-focused trip and combine that with a stay in stunningly-designed hotels. Agoda (http://www.agoda.com/?site_id=1811392), one of the fastest growing digital travel platforms, has put together a list of art museums and galleries around the world to explore, and nearby artistic hotels to immerse yourself after a full day exploring.
H Gallery, Bangkok
Established in 2002 by American Ernest H. Lee, H Gallery specializes in contemporary art forms, painting, photography, and textiles, with a main focus on emerging Thai and Asian artists. Once you make your way past the entry that is lined with various tropical plants to a century-old Anglo-Thai wooden building, you will be amazed by the tranquility and the greenery. The gallery is hosting the ‘New and Recent Paintings’ exhibition, which displays works of Thai artist Mit Jai Inn, until July 30.
After you have checked out the art-scene, check into the hip Cacha Hotel (https://www.agoda.com/cacha-hotel/hotel/bangkok-th.html?site=id1811392). Peap Tarr, a famous artist with a mix of New Zealand and Cambodian heritage painted pictures of elephants with New Zealand and Khmer-inspired motifs in the main lobby area. While P7, an iconic illustrator and street artist in Thailand whose works have been exhibited worldwide, created a painting of a mythical creature ‘Singha’ in the rooms using bright hues.
Te Uru Wait?kere Contemporary Gallery, Auckland
The Te Uru Wait?kere Contemporary Gallery, formerly known as the Waitemata City Arts and Cultural Centre, is located in the historic Lopdell House building. Apart from its West Auckland crafts and pottery that reflect cultural identities, the gallery also offers contemporary art and design programs, as well as spectacular views of the surrounding area. It won the 2015 Auckland Architecture Award (Public Architecture) and was shortlisted for the 2015 World Architecture Festival.
Set in the center of New Zealand’s largest city, Hotel Debrett (https://www.agoda.com/hotel-debrett/hotel/auckland-nz.html?site=id1811392) is a boutique hotel with an eclectic blend of architectural arts, combines elements of neo-classic, art deco, and modernism. As for the rooms, a New Zealand flavor is retained in artifacts and artwork used for decoration, in addition to contemporary pieces, fifties styling, and art deco elements.
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, Cape Town
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa is Africa’s largest contemporary art museum, showcasing several artists’ works from across the continent with themes ranging from tribal art to colonial structures deconstruction. Originally built in 1921 for industrial purposes, the enormous carved grain silos is a must-visit part that gives a cathedral-like feeling. Within the museum, you will also find a bookshop, a restaurant, reading rooms, and an amazing rooftop sculpture garden.
Occupying the six floors above the museum is The Silo Hotel (https://www.agoda.com/the-silo-hotel/hotel/cape-town-za.html?site=id1811392), where the lobby walls are adorned by Mohau Modisakeng’s Ditaola series and commissioned pieces by Jody Paulsen, Must be the Rain and So Exotic, and Frances Goodman’s Blue Velvet and Hooded Lady I, II & III. Each of its 28 suites has bubble-like windows, designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, that overlook breathtaking vistas of the South Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain, and the city.
Tate Modern, London
The National British Museum of Modern Art, more familiarly known as Tate Modern set in a former power station along London’s Southbank, houses one of the world’s most complete modern and contemporary art collections. Art pieces of major artists of the twentieth century, such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador DalĂ are displayed here.
In nearby Moorgate, Conran designed South Place Hotel (https://www.agoda.com/south-place-hotel/hotel/london-gb.html?site=id1811392), a hotel worth a visit if you like sculptures, paintings, photographs, or video installations. A set of Lichenstein-inspired comic strip style prints by John Vincent Aranda can be seen on the brasserie’s wall. Above the bed of each room hung a print from many artists of the local Hoxton Art Gallery.
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Ar-Rayyan
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art is designed by a French architect Jean-Francois Bodin. This one-of-its-kind museum in the region presents modern Islamic arts and artifacts dating as early as the 1840s. Painting and sculpture dominate the vast permanent collection of works assembled over several decades by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani. It also runs educational programs and supports research related to modern and contemporary Arab art.
Take a quick ride to the city center and you will find W Doha (https://www.agoda.com/w-doha_2/hotel/doha-qa.html?site=id1811392). The hotel’s interior has an artistic and playful design. Art 29, which spans the hotel’s 29th floor, is an expansive platform dedicated to showcase the works of emerging local, regional, and international artists.
