THE LOBBY
Idyllic Islands
© Prudence Cuming
A Kaleidoscope of Hope
050
British artist Damien Hirst has a longstanding
white canvasses, allowing the insects to hatch,
affiliation with Claridge’s. Having transformed
fly, mate and die throughout the installation.
its lobby during London’s Frieze Art Fair in 2019
Best viewed from the foot of the main
– filling the space with a collection of mythical
staircase, the mosaic upholds the legacy of the
sculptures that told the story of an ancient
artist’s Kaleidoscope series, bringing together a
shipwreck – the visionary returned to the hotel
mass of cerulean, scarlet and lilac glass pieces.
two years later for the launch of an art gallery,
The compositions reinforce Hirst’s deep-rooted
which showcased his very first NFT collection as
connection with butterflies, which in the past
well as whimsical works – including the iconic
has seen him turn real butterfly wings into
pipe cleaner animals and Colour Chart series –
dazzling mosaics. Since then, the artist has
available for purchase using cryptocurrency.
used the insects to address questions around
Continuing his collaboration with the property,
mortality, exploring the idea of life and death by
Hirst has topped its seven-storey staircase with
highlighting their iridescent beauty when both
a butterfly-inspired mosaic that seeks to capture
alive and dead.
the circle of life. Marking his debut in stained-
“I love Claridge’s, I love light and I love
glass, the skylight spans 8ft x 6ft and references
butterflies, so I was delighted when asked to
the artist’s use of butterflies as a form of beauty
design a stained glass window for the hotel’s
and tool of provocation; something that began
staircase,” says Hirst. “I love how it’s turned
in 1991 with his first solo exhibition, In and Out
out; I wanted to create an optimistic kaleidoscope
of Love, for which Hirst attached live pupae to
of hope and I think the result speaks for itself.”
“Cut off from the commotion of the mainland, surrounded by waves and the high drama of the elements, islands have been a Xanadu for centuries of writers’ and explorers’ most idyllic fantasies,” writes John Burns, Editor-inChief at Kinfolk, in the first of a new series that fosters thoughtful perspectives on the places we visit. Published by Artisan Books, the 256-page hardback takes readers on a journey off the beaten track, to islands big and small, through a collection of 18 new travel stories. Burns has split the tome into three sections, each comprising six different destinations with a long-form essay: Escape transports the audience to otherworldly landscapes and ponders the meaning behind the buzzworthy term, ‘armchair traveller’; Explore stretches the definition of island to its boundaries, visiting islands that offer new perspectives on urban settings; and Unwind ventures to some of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, from bougainvillea-fringed Mediterranean sands to rugged and remote Nordic shores. Alongside considered destination coverage, Kinfolk Islands comprises 280 vibrant photographs and practical guidance for travellers, as well as thoughtful reflections on why the idea of an island embodies so many travel fantasies.