Christine Lee x Paradise Group | Corporate Art Collection | Christie's Education Presentation

Lee Kang-So (Korean b. 1943), 淸明*-16102*, Acrylic on canvas, Image courtesy of Paradise Group

Christine Lee x Paradise Group Collaboration for Christie’s Education

Christine Lee is excited to announce a collaboration with Paradise Group to present Paradise City Resort’s vast art collection during Christie’s Education: An Introduction to Art Advisory Online Course - January to February 2023,

Paradise City is the first integrated resort in Northeast Asia (located near Incheon Airport in Korea) to combine multi-purpose hospitality and entertainment facilities such as casinos, hotels, conventions, shopping facilities, art galleries, spas, clubs, and performances.

The resort houses museum quality artworks by regional and international artists. The vast art collection began with the founder of Paradise and art patron, Chun, Rak-Won, and currently has over 3,000 paintings, sculptures and installations which engage their customers, employees and the general audience on a daily basis.

LIST OF ARTISTS:

Peter Halley
Jeff Koons
Ivan Navarro
Lee Kang-So
MIOON (Min Kim & MoonChoi)
Daniel Buren
Damien Hirst
Jaume Plensa
Sea Hyun Lee
Yayoi Kusama

For additional information on the course:
https://education.christies.com/courses/continuing-education/short-courses/an-introduction-to-art-advisory

For inquiries & media information:
info@openartadvisory.com

For additional inquiries:
Christine Lee
christine@openartadvisory.com
+917.224.0680

www.openartadvisory.com

Images & video courtesy of Paradise Group

PARADISE GROUP Q&A

1. How were you able to come up with a concept/idea to have art museum-level quality works in the Paradise Hotel field? I'm curious as to what motivated you to incorporate art into the hotel & resort sector.

The founder of Paradise (Chun, Rak-Won) was an art patron and art collector, and he established the Paradise Cultural Foundation early to support not only artists but also creators in various fields. A deep love and interest in art and culture made it possible to build a high-quality art collection, and this affection naturally melted into the business (hotel & resort). The heir of Chun, Phillip Chun, continues the spirit of the founder. Paradise’s innovative ideas allowed the group to move away from the paradigm that a hotel is simply a place to sleep and was able to realize their vision to become an ‘arttainment resort’ that offers new experiences through culture and art as a lifestyle destination where you can enjoy various leisure activities.

2. How did the selection process go, and is there any case of giving commissions for site-specific works in the hotel?

The selection is made in consideration of the artistry of the work. The purpose and characteristics of the space where the work will be installed, harmony with the interior, and the vision and message that Paradise wants to convey to its customers. We have commissioned many works such as Alessandro Mendini, Damien Hirst, Peter Halley, Subodh Gupta, Kangso Lee, Seahyun Lee, Sufan Oh, Jeonghwa Choi, MIOON and others.

3. Can you describe some of the works in your collection? How many works do you have in total?

We have about 3,000 works that are installed at Paradise City, including the rooms. Anyone can easily view the artworks and description on the Paradise City website. https://www.p-city.com/front/art

4. What was the feedback you received from hotel guests and the general public about the collection?

As soon as Paradise City opened its doors in 2017, it emerged as a ‘must-visit place’ for those interested in culture and art. Unlike the confines of a museum, the visitors can comfortably enjoy the artworks while taking a walk, including works by acclaimed international artists such as Damien Hirst and Yayoi Kusama – whose artworks are installed in the high traffic, main areas where many customers can engage with art.

5. It is understood that there is an exhibition space in the hotel. Can you describe any major past and/or upcoming exhibitions?

Paradise City has an exhibition space called ‘Art Space’. This is Paradise City's own cultural and artistic space that provides diverse experiences and content across a wide variety of genres, from Korean artists to world-renowned international artists. The exhibition space at Paradise Art Space consists of a permanent exhibition space featuring high-quality art collections, and a special area where a programme of exhibitions are held on trends and popularity which is free of charge and open to all visitors.

Beginning with the inaugural exhibition ‘Overstated & Understated’, which featured masterpieces by Jeff Koons, Damian Hirst, Lee Bae, and Kim Ho-Deuk, a total of 10 exhibitions have been held to date. For the upcoming exhibition, on display from May to September at the Paradise Art Lab, is an artist support project in association with the Paradise Cultural Foundation. Paradise Art Lab is a space conceived to explore the present of art and display the potential of the future. It is a theme-based creation - a place where the production supports the projects by Paradise Cultural Foundation and reflects the flow of contemporary art.

6. Are there any other art-focused hotel portfolios within the Paradise Group?

Within the Paradise Group, there is Paradise Hotel in Busan, Korea's second city, as well as Paradise City, and Paradise Spa Dogo in Dogo, famous for its hot springs. In those two places, works by international artists such as Alex Katz, Joel Shapiro, David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, Sarah Morris, Laurent Grasso, Anthony Quinn, David Gerstein, are displayed along side Korean artists including Seo-Bo Park, Bo-Hee Kim, Myoungwook Huh, Daeho Guk, Dongi Lee, Tchunmo Nam whose artworks are installed throughout the environment.