Client: Intercontinental Hotels

Overview

What if there were a Royal Family of New Orleans? What if their portraits had been created by a NYC graffiti artist? These were some of the questions Art Initiative and the design team asked artist Joseph Day and the Hotel Astor while creating the narrative of a fictional, mysterious family that had once or perhaps even currently inhabited the Hotel Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans.

Goals

Art Initiative's directive throughout the project was to create a visual narrative thread that would carry throughout the public spaces of the hotel-a narrative of a Royal Family of New Orleans. Their deconstructed, nearly vandalized portraits loom large in the public areas, while objects such as shadowboxed old keys, iron banks, and even a portrait of their beloved Borzai hound are scattered throughout the public areas piquing curiousity and threading a mysterious, modern, yet classical tale of a family very much alive in spirit.

Process

Art Initiative worked very closely with the design team, artists, models, photographer and the clients to make certain the theme of the Royal Family of New Orleans was realized in a manner that enhanced the design of the space, to walk a fine line of creating mystery and intrigue without overpowering any element of the overall design.

Additional Information

The theme was truly brought to life with the coordination of a huge team put together by Art Initiative. Art direction was managed by Alexandra West, photography by Michael West, the models, makeup artists, hair stylists, and wardrobe coordinators were critical. It was quite a leap of faith to send these pristine images to New York City to have the artist, Jospeph Day, hand-distress and drip paint over them to ironically, bring them to life.