Marriott Bonvoy Offers Exclusive Access to Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 as Official Hotel Loyalty Partner

HONG KONG,May 17,2021 --Marriott Bonvoy,Marriott International's travel program,is partnering with Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 to offer unique art experiences and exclusive access to Marriott Bonvoy members. In collaboration with charitable organization,The Plated Project,Marriott Bonvoy will present a series of artworks titled 'A Memory of the Future' to spotlight Hong Kong as a destination through its arts and culture,inspiring travel as recovery is on the horizon. The series will be showcased at Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 from Fri 21 May- Sun 23 May 2021.

In partnership with The Plated Project,Marriott Bonvoy presents a series of artworks titled ‘A Memory of the Future’ to spotlight Hong Kong through its arts and culture,inspiring travel as recovery is on the horizon.

"We are delighted to team up with Art Basel Hong Kong to bring an exquisite art experience to guests and our Marriott Bonvoy members," said Bart Buiring,Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Asia Pacific for Marriott International. "Through our global portfolio of more than 7,600 properties and our Marriott Bonvoy Moments™ platform,we are able to provide endless inspiration for members to pursue their passions through the pillars of culinary,lifestyle,entertainment and sports. I am particularly pleased to bring back Marriott Bonvoy Moments to the region where our Members can enjoy exclusive VIP access in Hong Kong or virtually from anywhere in the world together with Art Basel Hong Kong 2021."

Honoring Local Culture and Evoking Travel Inspiration

'A Memory of the Future' presents four unique ceramic plate designs that pay tribute to the distinct art-forms that are intrinsically Hong Kong,which includes hand-carved mahjong tiles,hand-made stencils,neon signs and Cantonese opera. Through the art works,Marriott Bonvoy spotlights Hong Kong as a destination with rich arts and cultural heritage,inviting guests to reimagine traditional Hong Kong art forms across four themes – playful,poetic,vibrant and majestic – that nod to the dynamic nature of Asia's World City.

In collaboration with The Plated Project and designed by artists Anila Agha,Tarini Sethi,Suket Dhir,Kalakaari Haath and Insane51,the art collection features a Chinese opera female warrior riding a majestic horse,Chinese motifs in a chic black and white print; a mahjong game scene in a fantasy world that blends modern and traditional; to neon-lit streets of Hong Kong. The specially commissioned and limited-edition ceramic art plates inspire wanderlust and the desire to explore arts,culture and heritage when travel is possible again. Guests in Hong Kong can purchase these plates from selected hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program in Hong Kong starting June while stocks last. All proceeds from the sale of plates will be donated to Foodlink Foundation Hong Kong – a charity dedicated to fighting hunger,building self-sufficiency,and fostering nutritional wellness among those in need,while reducing food wastage in Hong Kong. For guests outside of Hong Kong,plates are also available for sale via The Plated Project website in support of COVID-19 relief efforts.

The Plated Project is a global initiative that uses art to help alleviate world hunger. Every month,it collaborateswith artists around the world to create limited edition art plates under unique themes. Proceeds from the sales of these are donated to sponsor meals for disadvantaged communities across the globe. To date,they have sponsored 450,000 meals and have collaborated with over 100 artists. The Plated Project has worked with Marriott Bonvoy in Hong Kong for the past year to understand Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage to conceptualize the initiative that is culturally relevant and impactful.

Delivering Art-Inspired Marriott Bonvoy Moments

Marriott Bonvoy Moments is a program where members can use points to redeem or bid 'One-of-a-kind' experiences. Unique Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 experiences are available for members of Marriott Bonvoy to redeem through Marriott Bonvoy Moments.

For Marriott Bonvoy members in Hong Kong,the redemption opportunities include access to Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 on the VIP days before general public access,redemption packages for Vernissage VIP invitation,private view VIP cards. All experiences include the limited-edition ceramic art plates.

For Marriott Bonvoy members overseas,members can redeem VIP experiences to the Online Viewing Room,and select from a program of curated online events and live-streamed broadcasts including conversations and VIP-walkthroughs from the venue and throughout the city.

To learn more and redeem for these experiences,please visit link

APPENDIX:

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About the artwork

A Playful Memory of the Future

Mahjong originated in China during the Qing dynasty and then spread across the world. While electronic mahjong tables and digital games helped the popularity of the game soar,they have slowly chipped away at the legacy of beautiful,hand-carved mahjong tiles. Named an "intangible cultural heritage" by the Hong Kong government in 2014,the art-form today has only a couple of carvers practicing the craft in Hong Kong. Marriott Bonvoy collaborated with the artisan collective Kalakaari Haath to reinvent the way mahjong's story can be communicated to future generations. A multi-layered narrative is brought to life in an engaging plate that combines the weight of the history with the eternal playfulness of the game.

About Kalakaari Haath

Kalakaari Haath (which means 'skilled hands' in Hindi),is an India-based artist collective working in diverse design disciplines. They use design as a medium for collaborative storytelling. Their aim is to preserve traditional art-forms using modern techniques.

A Poetic Memory of the Future

The sun is setting on the ancient art of making stencils by hand. The precision of laser-cutting technology is preferred to the ancient,history laden craft that so few makers today still practice. Marriott Bonvoy is on a mission to revive this craft with Anila Agha who created a larger-than-life installation as a tribute to the work of the humble stencil maker and Tarini Sethi,a fine artist. The art plate is inspired by the contrasts of sturdy geometry and playful cutouts visible in Anila Agha's work,which tells the story of the stencil maker who sits in the shadow – a story of timeless craftmanship whose time in the light has come.

About Anila Agha

Anila Agha is a Pakistani-American artist who works in a cross-disciplinary fashion with mixed media. She creates artwork that explores global politics,cultural multiplicity,mass media,and social and gender roles in our current cultural and global scenario. Best known for her immersive,large scale light installations in which she laser-cuts elaborate patterns into three-dimensional cubes.

About Tarini Sethi

Tarini Sethi is a fine artist. She studied art at the Pratt Institute and went on to participate in several shows in New York. Her work constantly revolves around the idea of "utopias" and a world where we can live free and equally,without judgement both from others and ourselves.

A Vibrant Memory of the Future

Between 1950 and 1980,there were reportedly a million neon signs in Hong Kong. Each one had a story to tell,and streets were a competition of glowing signs fighting for the viewer's attention. Today,they're disappearing rapidly,and with them,a piece of Hong Kong's once vibrant street culture is fading into darkness. Marriott Bonvoy worked with Insane51,a Greek muralist and one of the pioneers in 3D art to immortalize the past beauty of the neon signs using graffiti as a tool to create a 'vibrant' memory of the future. Insane51's mural and art plate are a color-splashed exhibit of Hong Kong's most iconic neon signs. His creations respond to neon lights and the 3D glasses provided with the plate. The red tinge reminds us of how empty Hong Kong's streets would be if we let their neon-filled past fade into nothing.

About Insane51

Stathis Tsavalias,also known as 'Insane51',is an artist known for his intricate and innovative spray painting that pushes the boundaries of graffiti art. His specialization blends the ideas of photorealism and overlaying images,Insane51 adds two images and overlaps the two to create an illusionary three-dimensional effect.

A Majestic Memory of the Future

Rewind back to the 1950s where the Cantonese opera drew in thousands of fans into traditional bamboo theatres with its jewelled masks and elaborate headdresses. However,younger audiences have lost interest in this vibrant craft. Marriott Bonvoy wanted to find a way to spark conversations amongst young influencers to bring Cantonese opera back in vogue. In partnership with Suket Dhir,a Woolmark prize winner,we captured the beauty and elegance of Cantonese opera in this limited edition art plate. His muse and motif was Zhenyin Wusheng: a new female warrior character for the Cantonese opera who represents the modern woman of today.

About Suket Dhir

Suket Dhir won the International Woolmark Prize for Menswear in 2016,making him the only winner from Asia. Since then,he has been featured on the cover of The Economist and on the front page of the New York Times. American Vogue has called him a "a global fashion superstar in the making". His 'less is more' ethos transcends in the garments through masterful detailing,clever design and a touch of delicacy.

About Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy,comprises the company's portfolio of 30 hotel brands and home rental offering Homes & Villas by Marriott International. Members can earn and redeem points for stays and accelerate the points they earn with co-branded credit cards from JP Morgan Chase and American Express. The program offers exclusive member experiences and destination tours and adventures on Marriott Bonvoy Moments. When members book direct on Marriott.com they receive perks including free and enhanced Wi-Fi and exclusive member-only rates,and on the Marriott app they enjoy mobile check-in and checkout,Mobile Requests and,wherever available,Mobile Key. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy,visitMarriottBonvoy.com. To download the Marriott app,gohere. Travelers can also connect with Marriott Bonvoy onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.