Whenever you stay at Conrad Hotels & Resorts, you will find a locally curated art collection that allows guests to embrace their interest and passion for art and design while experiencing the destination with purpose and authenticity. Conrad Art Encounters has been created to illuminate the connections between hotels’ art, design and location. We invite you to immerse yourself in the Conrad Art Encounters catalog and take a self-guided tour to learn about the stories and context of individual artworks around the hotel.
Beyond the hotel, the Conrad Art Encounters catalog will guide you through the vibrant local art scene to some of the best art venues nearby as well as how you can support local creators.
Specially commissioned for the hotel’s opening in 2019, the art collection at Conrad Shenyang reflects and updates a rich Chinese tradition of contemplating natural beauty. Shenyang was a favored destination of the Qianlong Emperor, whose 1743 poem Ode to Mukden praised the spiritual experience of visiting its then relatively untouched landscapes. Many of the artworks at Conrad Shenyang speak to the interplay between human beings and nature, and while some have been made with the use of traditional Chinese techniques, others add new layers of meaning to natural imagery via contemporary elements such as LED lighting. The Emperor’s poem also described the city’s magnificent architecture and rich cultural heritage, much of which – despite the vast cultural and industrial changes of the centuries since – remains in evidence today.
1. Lee Gil Rae, Pine Tree, 2019
The Korean artist Lee Gil Rae is known for meticulously detailed sculptures in steel and copper, with highly textured surfaces that create a striking sense of depth and dimensionality. For more than 20 years, these intricate works have been part of his artistic exploration of themes such as deforestation and climate change. The pine tree, the subject of this work, is a symbol of longevity and resilience in Chinese culture. The use of metal creates a sense of permanence, reflecting the enduring spirit described in the Qianlong Emperor’s poem Ode to Mukden.
2. Xie Aige, Enjoy the Mountain, 2019
The Chinese sculptor Xie Aige draws inspiration from traditional Chinese landscape painting, which emphasizes the harmony and balance between people and their environment, encapsulated by the mantra: “To see the mountain is a mountain; to see the mountain is not a mountain; to see the mountain is still a mountain.” Enjoy the Mountain invites the viewer to contemplate a spiritual connection with the natural world at its most tranquil and awe-inspiring. Xie’s work has been exhibited internationally and she has been heralded as “one of the most promising Chinese sculptors of her generation.”
3. Ye Hongxing, Fusion, 2019
Ye Hongxing is a contemporary Chinese artist whose work has been widely exhibited at venues such as the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art and the Saatchi Gallery in London. Her mixed-media works often combine traditional motifs with western imagery. In this case, an image of Dazheng Hall, part of the Shenyang Imperial Palace, is overlaid with traditionally auspicious patterns depicting local flowers and birds. The building’s colors are muted, suggesting solemnity, while the bright patterns hint at a spirit of exchange between nature and culture.
4. Noh Jun, Dream of Deer, 2019
The Korean artist Noh Jun has participated in more than 150 exhibitions internationally and his work features in the collection at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Dream of Deer is a series of life-size, stylized copper sculptures of deer. Visitors to Conrad Shenyang will first encounter these strikingly graceful creatures outdoors, at the hotel entrance, where they hint at the wider art collection within.
5. Sans Souci Lighting, Scholar, 2019
The Czech Republic’s long tradition of skilled glasswork is maintained by Sans Souci, a specialist company that creates lighting and architectural art installations in Bohemia. Scholar, the chandelier sculpture that it created for Conrad Shenyang, pays homage to the Qianlong Emperor, an avid reader. Suspended in the hotel’s doubleheight bar, the artwork suggests the floating pages of a book caught in the wind. It is rendered in cobalt blue and gold glass, with the blue representing the ink calligraphy of traditional texts.
6. Simona Petrauskaite, Diamond Torus, 2019
Simona Petrauskaite’s work explores the intersection of science, art, and technology. Born in Lithuania in 1986, she studied art and design in Germany, and is known for her innovative use of traditional materials. Diamond Torus is a series of intricate interlocking shapes made from infinity mirrors set in wooden frames, creating displays of light and shadow that form geometric shapes such as fractals.
7. Jana Růžičková, Neurons, 2019
Jana Růžičková is a designer for the Czech glass specialist Lasvit. Neurons, her work at Conrad Shenyang, is a grouping of hundreds of delicate glass tubes and LED lights, evoking the complex connections between the human brain and nervous system. The design creates an illusion of mutual contact. Indirectly, the artist also wanted to represent the interconnected nature of Conrad Shenyang’s guests and the city itself.
8. Shenyang Imperial Palace
Built in 1625, this former imperial palace has been transformed into a museum showcasing the history and culture of the Qing dynasty. Visitors can take in its wide range of architectural styles and the decorative arts of past eras, including intricate carvings, paintings, and ceramics.
171 Shen Yang Lu, Shenhe District
9. Liaoning Provincial Museum
Established in 1949, this museum devoted to Chinese history and fine arts once occupied the residence of a local warlord, but moved to a purpose-built modern building in 2003. Its collection of nearly 120,000 artefacts includes splendid examples of calligraphy, painting, and silk embroidery, as well as works in bronze, ceramics, and more, from across the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties.
157 Third Zhihui Street, Hunnan district, Shenyang, Liaoning province
10. 1905 Cultural and Creative Park
Dating from 1905, the former manufacturing plant for China’s first industrial enterprise, Shenyang Heavy Machinery, has been reinvented as a 4,000-square-meter cultural and leisure venue. Its three floors include exhibition spaces, artist studios, and shops selling craftwork by local artisans and makers.
8 Xinghua North Road, Tiexi District
HUASHAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
XINXING NEIGHBOURHOOD
HUNNAN DISTRICT
SHENHE DISTRICT
DONGLING TOWN