Regent Seven Seas Cruises today unveiled details of the breathtaking $5 million art collection to be permanently displayed aboard Seven Seas Splendor. Taking nearly two years to curate and commission, the 300-piece collection is sourced from artists and galleries from around the world and will debut when the new ship launches in February 2020.
“Artwork featured on Seven Seas Splendor is one of the most discerningly curated collections of museum-quality 20th and 21st century art on the seas,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., who personally commissioned artwork for the ship. “We created a contemporary fine art collection that transforms each space with thoughtfulness, color and inspired creativity to perfect the ambience of luxury. This is truly a cohesive collection our guests will appreciate, with each piece impeccably displayed in public areas and in guest suites throughout this magnificent ship.”
The collection features works from more than 200 artists across dozens of mediums, including:
- Pablo Picasso (Lithograph and Print). Two Picasso works are on display in Prime 7 and in the Regent Suite.
- Eduardo Arranz-Bravo (Oil on Canvas). Arranz-Bravo’s works are on display in Prime 7 and in the Atrium.
- Juan Roberto Diago (Mixed Media on Canvas). Diago’s works are on display in Coffee Connection.
- Roberto Matta (Oil on Canvas). Matta’s Ouvrez c’est Nous is on display in the Atrium.
- Wifredo Lam (Gouache, pastel and charcoal on paper load on canvas). Lam’s work is on display in the Regent Suite.
- Duncan McClellan (Glass). Two hand-blown glass sculptures capture the focus of conversation in the Observation Lounge with fiery colors and sleek curves.
- Joan Miró (Aquatint and Carborundum, Lithographs). Miró’s works are on display in Prime 7.
- Alexander Krishonov (Bronze Sculpture). Krishonov’s bronze sculpture is on display in Serene Spa & Wellness.
Reflecting an extensive and diverse collection featuring modern and classic artists, the works are presented in all areas of Seven Seas Splendor, from restaurants and lounges to hallways and restrooms, complementing the ship’s elegant interior design. Great thought was given to the positioning of the pieces, beyond how they would appear in the space.
For example, there is historical significance of Joan Miró’s The Bullfighter Move on display next to Eduardo Arranz-Bravo’s Bull in Prime 7, the ship’s premier steakhouse. Miró’s and Arranz-Bravo’s work showed at the same prestigious Sala Gaspar Gallery in Spain in 1969, the same year The Bullfighter Move was created. Miró, age 76 at the time, was well-established internationally as one of Spain’s masters. He became more familiar with the talent of 28-year old Arranz-Bravo’s works through this showing, and championed Arranz-Bravo as an emerging artist and helped him rise to worldwide acclaim. Now, their work will be forever displayed next to each other on Seven Seas Splendor.
“We are proud to partner with the array of contemporary artists whose pieces are featured and share their amazing talent with our guests to enjoy,” Del Rio said. “By including their art in the Seven Seas Splendor collection, my hope is more people will become familiar with these wonderful international artists, some of whom I’ve had the pleasure to personally meet along the journey of curating this collection.”
An installation that will become an iconic sculpture aboard Seven Seas Splendor is the dramatic mythical dragon rising from under the floor and swirling through the large space up through the ceiling to greet guests in front of Pacific Rim, the ship’s exquisite Pan-Asian restaurant. Holding a supernatural pearl, the cast bronze dragon is an embodiment of good luck in Asian culture. Guests walk through the winding, life-size dragon to enter Pacific Rim.
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