Last week we attended the cocktail party at Hyatt Union Square New York to celebrate the summertime art and fashion window installation by Eliana Petrides. Check out the recap below.
Hyatt Union Square New York announces the debut of The Nature of Artifice on July 17, 2014. The limited-run window art exhibition will showcase the work of emerging artist/designer and Parsons The New School for Design alumna Eliana Petrides through a series of floral installations that embody the cunning artfulness of New York City and illuminate the sprightly spirit of summer.
Born out of its continued commitment to the local art community, Hyatt Union Square New York held its first design competition last fall, granting New York artists and designers the unique opportunity to exhibit their art in the windows of the hotel. Selected from an impressive pool of submissions, Eliana’s thoughtful mixed media design and inspiring narrative stood apart from the competition.
“We developed this idea to celebrate emerging, contemporary artists, to bring them to the forefront of the art world, and provide them with a space to show and exhibit their work in New York,” says Chris Holbrook, General Manager, Hyatt Union Square New York. “Eliana Petrides is one of those artists. Her bold work is compelling, yet evocative, and we’re honored to have her creativity in our hotel for everyone to enjoy.”
The young artist’s work captures the peculiar blurring of the natural and the artificial that prevails in New York City, from the man-made creation of supposed natural spaces, such as parks and waterfronts, to the recent emphasis placed on the use of pure, natural, and organic materials in today’s most consumeristic indulgences, such as fashion. In her own words, Eliana reflects on her inspiration:
“New York is a city of Artifice, but it is not without nature. The unique blooms from this creative cavern of thinkers, enriched by the soil of steel and cement, to blossom into something more sublime than any orthodox garden grown from the terra. This cultivation of the manufactured, coupled with the illuminating breath of tepid currents and the ensuing frenzy of summer’s chromatic palette, brings forth the sprightly flora that is New York City. Here, the fever does not abate.”
Eliana’s immense floral designs will transform the hotel windows into distinct works of art using a selection of mixed media materials, including plasticized, holographic-effect fabrics, crystals and various other jewels. A custom-designed vinyl window decal featuring original paintings by Eliana will also anchor the installation, revealing a rich and complex narrative across the grand windows.
Hyatt Union Square New York also invites local art enthusiasts and visiting guests to meet the artist and celebrate her work during an opening reception on Thursday, July 17, 6pm-8pm. Held in SingL, just off the hotel lobby, guests will mix and mingle over complimentary cocktails and light bites inspired by The Nature of Artifice, including fresh Elderflower Caipirinhas, Marconi de Fleur cocktails accented by candied hibiscus, Fried Zucchini Blossoms and Tuna Tartare on Endive Petals.
The art installation will be on display in the hotel lobby and SingL lounge and open to the public from July 17 to September 30, 2014. During this period, guests of the hotel will also receive limited edition room key cards featuring Eliana’s one-of-a-kind designs as a collector’s item.
Eliana Petrides is a recent graduate of Parsons School of Design BFA Fashion Design program wherein she was awarded as the winner of the Swarovski Crystal Sponsorship Award for her Senior Thesis collection, and was personally selected to collaborate design alongside the Nike design team. While still in school, she worked in the design houses of Ralph Lauren, John Varvatos, and Colette Malouf. Today, she is working to launch her eponymous label HLIANA.
About Hyatt Union Square New York
Hyatt Union Square New York was the first new hotel in the neighborhood in more than ten years when it welcomed the first guests in April 2013. Located at 134 Fourth Avenue on the corner of 13th Street, the boutique hotel boasts 178 guestrooms and suites, as well as the newest ventures from One Five Hospitality Group, The Fourth, Singl Lounge, and the newest addition forthcoming in fall 2014, Botequim. One Five is led by world renowned restaurateurs Jo-Ann Makovitzky and Marco A. Moreira, who have been staples in the community for 15 years with strong connections to their local loyal clientele. Perfectly positioned in the heart of New York City’s emerging Digital District, Hyatt Union Square New York is a fresh offering for visiting professionals, while simultaneously offering homegrown culinary and nightlife venues for the local community.
For more information, visit www.unionsquare.hyatt.com and follow us at www.twitter.com/HyattUnionSqNYC or www.Facebook.com/HyattUnionSquareNewYork