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A Night in A Museum
The sun stubbornly refused to come out today. The skies were dim and it was drizzling. Had I been on my way to a beach resort, I would have been listless. Thank the cloudy heavens I wasn't. I told my cab driver that The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences would be a breeze to spot in Salcedo Village, anticipating a view of the paintings on the balcony fins that collectively form the face of a woman. But as soon as we turned to Villar Street we were driving straight to it, the structure's identity confirmed with its distinctive black and white Picasso signage inspired by Pablo Picasso's own sketch of Don Quixote. As it turns out, the woman has two faces. She is sleeping if you view the panels from one end of L.P. Leviste street, and her eyes open when you stare from the opposite side. But if you were to look at the building head-on, it would appear to be nothing more than a clean canvass with its white exterior and simple architecture. Pablo Picasso himself would have approved of this design, the first of many features of The Picasso that are inspired by its namesake who taught us to look with our eyes in radical new ways. Much as I admired the exterior, it was still raining so I quickly rushed inside and into the lobby. My first thought was to dash to one of the balconies to examine an individual painting closely, but plans changed quickly because there was artwork everywhere I looked. As in an art museum, Picasso acts as gallery owner and has a partnership with Art Cabinet Philippines for their Art-In-House program, taking a portion of art sales.(Unfortunately their in-house art gallery was closed for renovation the day of our shoot, nevertheless, there were hundreds of art pieces strewn throughout the hotel.) Every two months, a new set of actively exhibiting artists are invited to look at the space. Presently featured are Anton del Castillo's "Temptation of Thoughts": a series of two and three dimensional metal steel plates inspired by the seven deadly sins, and Kidlat De Guia's metallic digital print photographs of Scout Hill at Camp John Hay, and some of Manila's unoccupied buildings, either abandoned or in mid-construction. Even the building's structure and design are artworks by themselves. Pablo Picasso at times represented women with guitars in his work, and these guitars in turn are represented by vertical lines in the lobby. Another interesting thing about the lobby is the rough slab of concrete protruding above the receptionist desk. While it may not be visually stunning, it is a historical piece, a remnant of the original building. This was once part of the Blanco Suite's second floor, now a sculpture that runs the width of the lobby. Pablo Picasso too would often incorporate found objects and work them into his sculptures. The receptionist, a gentleman wearing a stylish fedora hat, meets me and our photographer Rica, and begins to lead our tour. Later we are joined by another gentleman who figuratively wears dual hats as Head of Marketing Services & Business Development for Ardent Property Development Corp and Hospitality International Inc., Benjo Mendoza. Before its makeover into the hip hotel that it is today, the Blanco Suites was a dwelling place for many writers and artists, among them singer Martin Nievera and columnist Nelson Navarro. "Today the Picasso Boutique hotel attracts art enthusiasts, business travelers, and both local and foreign tourists for its central location." says Benjo. "It is right at the heart of Salcedo Village in Makati's Central Business District where guests enjoy the convenience of walking to their offices, a rare luxury in a city mostly traveled by car. It is walking distance from the Makati malls, parks and residences. The guests enjoy the feeling of being like a local when they stay at the Picasso. We recently had the judges of the Ateneo Art awards stay at The Picasso and I was informed that they were delighted with their stay. Curators from abroad have also stayed with us and have felt at home with our services and unique environment." As we were waiting for our turn up the elevator, we found ourselves standing like chess pieces on a black and white chessboard pattern. Evoking Picasso's Harlequins, these sections of tiles appear on the floors and ceilings of every elevator lobby. To our left, marking the end of the lobby was a white veiled sculpture in the shape of the letter 'y.' Benjo shares his profound knowledge of both installation and artist. "It is Egai Fernandez's 'The Spirit Within' sculpture. One constant virtue of Egai's work is his steady and cumulative artistic development. He maintains a high level of challenge, change and excitement in an art that is profoundly aware both socially and politically. He would draw from earlier devices and motifs, concerns and interests and combines them with new ones. This process significantly enriches his art and there is always a marked growth with each show that he comes up with. His being a true social realist has brought him fame not only in the Philippines but in other countries as well." The elevator's interior isn't spared from artwork as well. The doors slide open to reveal geometric shapes limned in the primary colors. This design, sans the grid of vertical and horizontal black lines, is inspired by the style of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, and is a subtle reference to the Mondrian Residences. "The first project that Ardent Property Development Corporation took on was The Mondrian Residences in Alabang. The same design team conceptualized The Picasso." explained Benjo, referring to the husband-and-wife tandem of architect Dominic Galicia and interior designer Tina Periquet. Literally moving pieces of art and giving life to this trendy hotel are the housekeeping staff atypically dressed in striped shirts as did Pablo Picasso. Benjo justifies, "The Picasso is the place 'Where art and passion live.' We want to communicate this message also in our staff uniforms." Artwork on display, color of carpeting and elevator lobbies, and even the room numbers which take the form of faux paintings, are unique to each of the nine floors. "It was serendipitous that there were nine major periods for Picasso's works and nine floors at The Picasso." comments Benjo. "Each floor is color-themed which corresponds to color palettes taken from a particular period." I took the extra time to visit each floor away from the busy pack so as not to overlook any intriguing details. On the sixth floor, gluttony is the sub-theme of Anton del Castillo's "Temptation of Thoughts" series. "Unwanted faith" is a metal steel plate engraved with the image of a pig and the text phrase "do not eat me" written repeatedly. That and a sculpture of an overweight male torso entitled "The Famished Beast" are ironically the pieces of artwork greeting guests at the gym's entrance, which passersby would see as humorous, and gym-goers should see as motivation. The two-level gym is fittingly complete with cardio-vascular machines on the sixth floor, and free weights and resistance machines on the fifth floor. It is not exempt from possessing artwork as well: visible when you take the steps in between the two levels is a mounted circular surface with hand-prints including the names, presumably of the hands' owners. Not every period is exclusive to a particular floor though. The Rose Period, though characterized with lyrical orange and pink colors features circus people in Picasso's works including the harlequin whose checkered patterned clothing is found as checkerboard tiles in front of every elevator lobby. The period of Cubism is the overall concept of The Picasso, where objects are fragmented and turned as if viewed from infinite vantage points. Take for instance the paintings of the lady in the balcony fins, as well the other paintings found in each room that are Picasso-inspired. I rejoin my companions for a quick visit to the different rooms, named after places significant to Pablo Picasso's life. Each are like mini art galleries by themselves. The Malaga Studios and the Barcelona Suites are on second to the fifth floors, while the remaining executive floors hold rooms replete with more amenities: the Madrid Studios, the Montrparnasse Suites, and the Picasso Suites. There are only two of the latter, elegantly decked in white and grey tones. The Malaga Studio was to be my home for the night and the next morning. As soon as our baggage assistants leave, the phone rings and the receptionist asks how we find our room, its amenities, and even it's scent. So far we very much appreciated the staff's attentiveness. Rica and I then take out our laptops to enjoy the room's free wifi. Guests who fail to bring laptops may use those provided at the wifi lounge in the second floor. Aside from the wifi and free use of the gym for registered guests, there's also daily replenishment of bottles of drinking water, free local newspapers, and a free buffet breakfast at the Brasserie Boheme. From my desk the box of tissue and even the waste basket – objects we don't normally pay attention to – are artfully covered in Picasso-inspired designs, proving that every element that guests come across is a piece of art. Apparently I could not share my room with Rica who later busied herself shooting night shots of Picasso's lighted exterior before it was time for her to go. Alone at last, I decide to slip into a provided robe and turn on the plasma TV till I fell asleep in my avant-garde setting. As soon as I lay motionless, I seemed to become part of a painting as my bed was surrounded by a large frame, as is the plasma TV in its own frame, and some of the other artwork throughout the The Picasso. Tenants at The Picasso complete the amenities offered, such as QI Wellness Spa, Studio 119 Salon, and the Brasserie Boheme Restaurant. The Picasso also has a function for business purposes and social gatherings. As for future plans, Benjo says "The plans are to increase guest satisfaction, continuing to contribute to the art community and to keep on providing a unique lodging experience." The Picasso is open to hosting other artistic activities as art museums do. "We would like to have poetry and book readings, even events related to fashion, film and music." Simply put, The Picasso is perfect for those who fancy a "night at the museum" and more. |
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