26th January 2012 – March 8th at La Residencia, Orient-Express’ rustic manor house hotel in Deia, Mallorca, will see the inauguration of one of Spain’s largest permanent sculpture gardens. Spearheaded by the hotel’s sculptor in residence, Juan Waelder, the exhibition will display the works of many ‘up and coming’ as well as established sculptors from around the world, further cementing the hotel’s commitment to supporting the arts. The sculptures will be placed throughout the grounds of the hotel, allowing a journey of discovery for its guests.

Each artist, whether from the artisan villages that surround the hotel or from the internationally acclaimed arts scene, has been carefully selected for their originality and craftsmanship. Sculptors include Betty Gold from Austin, Texas whose large abstract geometric influenced sculptures have been displayed in numerous outdoor public spaces throughout the United States and Spain. Also displaying will be Jorge Oteiza, who has had several exhibitions of his work displayed in the legendary Guggenheim Museum in New York, and Jedd Novatt, a New York city native  whose sculpture Chaos Mundaka was unveiled as part of London’s City of Sculpture Festival in 2012. La Residencia hopes to eventually grow the number of artists contributing to the exhibition to 52, making it one of the largest sculpture gardens in Spain.

The exhibition will showcase a mix of contemporary as well as more classical pieces, all comprising of different materials and styles, and all of which have been sourced by Juan himself. Following selection, Juan personally decides where each sculpture is positioned, a painstaking process to ensure that each piece is complemented by its surroundings and vice versa. With the backdrop of the imposing Tramuntana mountains and the aquamarine Mediterranean sea, the collection will be split, with pieces placed on the landscaped front gardens and spread up through the mountainside, positioned around the sun-drenched olive terraces of the hotel. Guests can explore the collection by following the pebbled pathways that meander up towards these terraces.

Over the years, the coastal village of Deia has adopted a number of artists and writers from all corners of the earth, all of which have been attracted by the beauty and bohemian atmosphere of the location. Many of these artists remain in the village today and, exclusive to La Residencia, are art tours that grant access for guests of the hotel into their homes and studios. The ‘behind the scenes’ tours are conducted by Cecilie Sheridan, whose late husband George was an artist himself and whose permanent exhibition can be seen in the hotel’s El Olivo restaurant. Keen art fans are given the opportunity to have conversations with artists to discover their inspirations, and explore their studios and works in progress. 

As with the art exhibitions displayed in the hotel’s Tefona art gallery, entry to the sculpture garden will be complimentary to both guests and non-guests of the hotel, with all pieces available for purchase as well. Once a sculpture is sold, it will be replaced by another piece by the same artist allowing for a fresh influx of sculptures throughout the year. Prices will range from approximately £991 to £35,500 for larger exhibits. 

Rates for a Classic Double Room start from £288 per room per night including breakfast and tax. For bookings please call Orient-Express reservations on 0845 077 2222.

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Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. is the name behind a unique collection of luxury hotels and adventure travel experiences.  The Orient-Express name first became synonymous with stylish and pioneering travel in 1883 with the inaugural of Europe’s most celebrated and sophisticated train service.  Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. has offered exceptional luxury travel experiences since 1976, when it first purchased Hotel Cipriani in Venice and then shortly afterwards, recreated the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, linking London, Paris and Venice, along with other European cities.  Today the Orient-Express brand also embraces 49 hotel, cruise and luxury rail businesses in 24 countries.  Forty of these are highly acclaimed hotels, each individual in style, from Rio’s Copacabana Palace and the Hotel Splendido in Portofino, to the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg and Hotel Monasterio in Cuzco, Peru.  The Company also operates six luxury tourist trains, two river cruise operations and the ‘21’ Club, one of New York’s most iconic restaurants and watering holes.  www.orient-express.com

For further information, please contact Sara Mirza or Emily Wilson at Orient-Express on 020 3117 1376 or sara.mirza@orient-express.com, Emily.wilson@orient-express.com