800 works of art by Andalusian artists reinvent the experience of a 5-star hotel

Feathers that sway with the breeze have been welcoming guests at the Marbella hotel for a few months now. They are the work of artist Monique Baastians, almost alive in their movement. Inside, in the lobby, guests are greeted by a large jar from Marta de Pablos, an artist from Huelva with a special relationship with the Mediterranean and color. Her collection of unique and serial ceramic pieces is repeated in other rooms, playing with shapes and silhouettes.

In the same Reception area, murals by the Sevillians La Colorería SVQ are also found on the high walls of the Hall or in business spaces around a table, including the exclusive restaurant Jara, led by chef José Carlos García.

In the corridors, the methacrylate sculptures by María Jiménez Sequeiros and her surprising light plays at every step, and a decoration that also features exclusive works by the Sevillian Norberto Gil, BMW Painting Prize winner, in this place where Andalusian culture opens up to the world to feel those emotions that have been floating in the air for more than 50 years, when the hotel was the center of cultural and social life in Marbella.

Bringing together all these artists was the work of Julio Cruz Casas and Adolfo Sánchez Flores, art experts and directors of Red House Art, an Andalusian company also based in Marbella that operates throughout the Spanish geography and is especially interesting to decorators and private art lovers.

"The idea conveyed to us by the Hotel was that we had to look back to the 60s, 70s, and 80s, to revive the love story between Los Monteros and Marbella, to create a vintage reference to rescue the hotel's interior design from that era so that people, upon entering, could feel that retro avant-garde vibe," explains Adolfo Sánchez Flores.

"We usually work with almost 90 artists so when we saw this project we knew what to aim for: local art, mostly from Andalusia, a modern, contemporary, Mediterranean decoration and we thought it would be a plus if the artists were of these characteristics," points out Julio Cruz Casas.

Adolfo and Julio spent nearly three years selecting artists and works, almost 800. "It's a very large hotel, almost a museum, we prepared an initial selection according to the chain's standards, they rejected 3 or 4 because they didn't fit here and others were included in the second proposal because they make more figurative creations and could better adapt to the spaces," they assure.

"This is not a temporary exhibition nor are the works for sale. And we are pleased that the hotel has wanted to enhance its excellence through art because guests value these things when looking for a five-star grand luxury, excellence through difference," they assert with shining eyes about their work.

They sought original paintings, young artists who could bring color and joy. And they have also achieved this in the more private and intimate spaces with the serial works of the Sevillian Manuel León, the one-ink paintings of the Cordoban Pablo Little, the large format and vibrant color works of Ricardo Llinares, also from Seville, those of the Jerez artist Fernando Clemente, and those of Santiago Picatoste, pure color and abstraction.

From the hotel itself, where about 200 people work, "a big family," they ensure that this concept of decorating with artworks is based on their idea of 'relaxed luxury,' placing the client at the epicenter of experiences. "The type of art seen upon entering and throughout the hotel is part of the journey that the guest makes during their stay, and the pieces will accompany them and add value to their experience."