ME madrid presents 'woman is art' exhibition during ARCO

overlooking plaza de santa ana in the heart of spain’s capital city lies ME madrid reina victoria — ME by meliá‘s first urban hotel. ME by meliá — the personality-led lifestyle brand — seeks to fuse contemporary style with local tastes, with each hotel bearing a unique connection with its location.

just steps from the 19th century teatro español, and a vibrant tapas bar scene in the historic square, ME madrid has cemented its status as a hospitality destination in the center of the music, art and fashion scene. in furthering its commitment to culture and its participation in artistic activities, ME madrid has recently presented an art exhibition that payed homage to some of spain’s most renowned contemporary artists in a show coinciding with madrid’s art week fair, ARCO, and international women’s day.

ME madrid overlooks plaza de santa ana in the heart of spain’s capital city

built in the early 19th century, ME madrid was originally designed by modernist architect jesús carrasco y encina. the construction of the hotel began in 1919 on the site of the palace of the counts of teba, the childhood home of napoleon III’s wife. since opening in 1923, the hotel has been a symbol of elegance and luxury, establishing itself as a hotspot for the city’s bullfighters.

working alongside british architect keith hobbs of united design partnership, ME madrid has revitalized the historic structure. the renovated building has retained its beautiful façade, typical of madrid’s urban architecture, while the interior has been redesigned in line with the ME by meliá brand.

the eclectic lobby has been designed in line with the ME by meliá brand

the hotel features 192 guest rooms, including 12 suites, as well as a signature ‘suite ME’. the exclusive terraces of the 150-square-meter, two storey suite and the ‘passion suites’ have also been refurbished. internally, spaces can be transformed for private and tailor-made parties with a DJ, barman, or even a chef.

the rooftop ‘radio’ bar is located on the seventh floor, and stretches across a renovated terrace

the ‘ana la santa’ restaurant offers a traditional tapas menu, as well as contemporary creations inspired by flavors from around the world. meanwhile, the rooftop bar, known as ‘radio – ME madrid rooftop‘ is located on the seventh floor where a renovated terrace features an exotic and stylish design, with panoramic views of the city’s historic buildings.

a look inside the signature ‘suite ME’ bedroom

the bar has 400 square meters of exclusive space, which is split into eight unique areas, designed for live music and entertainment, gourmet food and signature cocktails. it includes a restaurant and bar, as well as VIP areas with private bar service, offering an unforgettable experience in madrid. with a capacity of up to 65 guests for lunch and dinner, the restaurant has a new menu based on mediterranean cooking focusing on exquisite flavors, local produce and gourmet presentation in a magical setting.

the bar is split into eight unique areas designed to accommodate live music and entertainment

captivating clientele with a love for contemporary art and design, ME madrid’s lobby showcases work from spanish designers, including moanne, kettal, and vibia, as well as italian influence from baxter and pedralli. it also features a lounge area and urban garden, with wood paneling, indoor foliage, and an abundance of natural light. throughout, the furniture was selected for its unusual textures, rustic elegance, and natural color palette.

ME madrid recently presented an art exhibition coinciding with ARCO and international women’s day

during madrid’s art week fair, ARCO, ME by meliá has launched its ‘woman is art’ exhibition. the initiative — on view at ME madrid for one month for both hotel guests and members of the public — forms part of ME by meliá’s cultural initiative, ‘the cultural collective’, which sees the brand collaborate with an international roster of cutting-edge creative figures. the platform seeks to bring contemporary culture and the latest in innovation, art, and design into ME hotels.

picasso’s guernica in the style of jackson pollock essays 1, 1980-2017
image © designboom

through the ‘woman is art’ project, the brand seeks to use art as a celebration of femininity and praise the important role of women within the creative world. ‘with the exhibition ‘woman is art’, we have focused all our efforts on celebrating women who are a true inspiration, highlighting the important cultural contribution they bring into our society,‘ alba bustamante, global marketing director at ME by meliá, said. ‘we are thrilled to be honouring the works of these leading artists during madrid’s most renowned art fair and hope to encourage all visitors to celebrate women everywhere.’

among the list of participating artists are some of the most outstanding profiles of the spanish scene with international relevance — such as photographer martina matencio, illustrator flavita banana and painter and draftsman, ricardo cavolo. the collaboration brought together a host of visionaries renowned for their work both locally and internationally. each of the works is dedicated to the representation of women and responds to the question of how women are viewed by men and other women, as well as the future of feminity and gender fluidity. through ME by meliá’s ‘woman is art’ initiative, the brand gives a voice to female creators, while turning its hotels into important cultural hubs.

‘woman is art’ has coincided with ARCOmadrid 2019, the international contemporary art fair that just celebrated its 38th edition. ARCOmadrid is recognized as having been the first fair in the world to incorporate the voices of contemporary art professionals. a total of 203 galleries from 31 countries took part this year, 166 of which formed part of the general programme, in addition to the curated sections: ‘peru at ARCO‘, with a selection of 24 artists from 15 galleries; ‘dialogues’, with 13 galleries and ‘opening’, with 21.

peru, the guest country at the 2019 edition, presented a deep curatorial work by sharon lerner — contemporary art curator at the lima art museum — who selected a total of 23 peruvian artists, represented by galleries from different countries, to participate in ‘peru at ARCO’. the curated section unites the most international generation of young peruvian artists — many of whom have pursued large parts of their careers in other countries. the emphasis on the importance of the artists and their origins has also be shown, with an aim to disseminate the work of artists from peru from the past century until now.