The EVE Hotel Sydney introduces 'Art House' with Louise Olsen as inaugural artist
SYDNEY: This winter, The EVE Hotel launches Art House – a cultural platform that transforms the hotel into a living gallery where Australian art, design and hospitality converge. The Art House concept, curatorial direction and artist partnerships has been developed with contemporary cultural platform and creative consultancy, Arts-Matter. Running from 25 May through to September, Art House will unfold across an installation of new works by acclaimed Australian artist and Dinosaur Designs co-founder Louise Olsen, objects and a collectible design collaboration with Dinosaur Designs, and more soon-to-be announced cultural moments.
Leading the inaugural season as Art House artist is Louise Olsen. Already deeply embedded within the identity of The EVE, Louise has been part of the hotel since opening, most notably through the monumental Barrisol ceiling artwork Still Life suspended above Bar Julius and her large-scale hand knotted Tibetan wool and silk work, Dream Garden. Through Art
House, Louise’s expressive, material-led practice will expand further with eight new paintings – courtesy of Olsen Gallery – and Dinosaur Designs objects placed in Bar Julius, the lobby and cloisters, and a Design Dialogue talk hosted with Arts-Matter on 2 July in Bar Julius.
“There’s a warmth and materiality to The EVE that really resonates with my practice. It’s so wonderful to be part of The EVE’s art programming with my work incorporated into the ceiling of Bar Julius and in other areas of the hotel and now extending that even further with Art House. There are so many artists in the Surry Hills and Redfern areas. Not only has the hotel begun a revitalisation of the area but is supporting a vital part of the community.
“With these new works being installed at The EVE, I’m exploring the relationship between nature, landscape and atmosphere, and the vibrations that happen where they touch.
There’s a sense of the elements being simultaneously empty and full, where the space around the forms pulse and become just as important as the marks themselves,” says Louise.
Art House builds on The EVE’s broader connection to art and design culture. Conceived as a playground for the curious and creative, the hotel features an extensive collection of contemporary Australian and international art throughout its public spaces curated by celebrated Sydney gallerist, David Stein. Bar Julius was intentionally designed as an
evolving gallery-like environment, with artworks integrated into the identity of the space and lining every wall. Among the most significant works throughout The EVE are Tarryn Gill’s luminous sculptural piece The Moon in the lobby, Belgian master Cornelius De Neve’s 17th Century Portrait of a Man, and a vintage Jean-Paul Goude poster entitled Grace Jones
Clubbing from 1982, both hanging in Bar Julius.
“From the beginning, art has never felt like something added onto The EVE, it’s always been part of the hotel’s identity and atmosphere,” says Ben Mellor, General Manager. “Louise felt like the natural inaugural artist for Art House because her work is already woven into the fabric of the building. This season is about deepening that relationship and creating a hotel experience that feels immersive, cultural and distinctly Australian.”
The Art House stay: a curated winter experience
As part of the season, The EVE will also introduce The Art House Stay – a bookable guest experience available throughout winter. Art House Stay guests will receive a collectible Pebble Jar by Dinosaur Designs inspired by The EVE’s rich pomegranate tones, alongside a $100/night credit to enjoy across Lottie, Bar Julius or in-room dining. Priced from $779/night*
and available from now until 1 October. Bookings here.
More details and ticketing information on Louise Olsen’s Design Dialogue talk on 2 July to be released soon, with further announcements and programming for Art House revealed progressively across winter.
*Terms and conditions apply.
EDITOR NOTES
Louise Olsen’s involvement in Art House is courtesy of Olsen Gallery in Woollahra, Sydney.
What’s in a name: The EVE Hotel Sydney can be shortened to The EVE after first use.
Website: theevehotel.com.au
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Jodi Clark - TFE Hotels (Director of Communications) | +61 499 900 658 | [email protected]
Anna Mansfield - PR Consultant for The EVE at Leisure Practice +61 405 297 191 | [email protected]
MORE ABOUT THE EVE
The EVE Hotel Sydney is nestled within Wunderlich Lane, a new lifestyle precinct at the crossroads of Redfern and Surry Hills. Designed by SJB with interiors by George Livissianis and landscape architecture by 360 Degrees, the 102-room luxury boutique hotel is home to a rooftop pool, contemporary Mexican restaurant and
mezcaleria Lottie by Liquid & Larder, and European-inspired lobby bar Bar Julius. Throughout the hotel, art and design play a defining role in the guest experience, with works spanning contemporary Australian artists, international pieces and collectible design integrated throughout the property.
ABOUT LOUISE OLSEN
Louise Olsen is an Australian artist and the co-founder and Creative Director of Dinosaur Designs, one of Australia’s most internationally recognised art and design brands. Olsen was born into an artist’s family, surrounded by art and creativity. Her parents established an art school called The Bakery in Sydney’s Paddington
which Olsen attended at the age of six. A graduate of Sydney’s City Art Institute (now UNSW Art & Design), Olsen has spent over four decades creating sculptural works, objects and jewellery informed by the natural world. Olsen has exhibited multiple solo exhibitions at Sydney’s Olsen Gallery, Sydney Contemporary with Olsen
Gallery, Newcastle Gallery, The Glasshouse in Port Macquarie, Melbourne Art Fair and Galerie Bessieries in Paris. Some of Olsen’s pieces feature in the permanent collections of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and Newcastle Art Gallery.
ABOUT ARTS-MATTER
Arts-Matter is a Sydney-based cultural membership platform, creative studio and arts consultancy dedicated to shaping contemporary culture through curated experiences, creative projects and artist collaborations. Alongside its cultural programming and consultancy work spanning art, design, fashion and hospitality, Arts Matter also
publishes A-M Journal, a global arts and culture publication. Through its network of artists, creatives, cultural institutions and industry leaders, Arts Matter develops projects that foster meaningful community engagement and connect brands with contemporary culture in authentic and considered ways.