Autograph Collection Hotels – the diverse and dynamic collection of independent hotels championing individuality, together with Fotografiska, the contemporary museum of photography, art, and culture, recently unveiled a new cultural project, beginning with its debut in New York City. In Impressions, four award-winning photographers, in residence at Autograph Collection Hotels, showcase their takes on extraordinary places, revealing new dimensions and fresh perspectives through photography.
With installations at Fotografiska museums and Autograph Collection Hotels properties around the world, the collaboration invites viewers to experience Berlin, San Pedro, Oklahoma City, and Tokyo through new original works, as well as short films exploring each photographer’s creative process and inspiration. Impressions will also come to life via limited edition prints, which will be available for retail on Fotografiska.com and at a select number of Autograph Collection Hotels properties, with proceeds benefiting The Bronx Documentary Center, a non-profit gallery, educational center, and cultural resource.
While at Hotel Luc, Autograph Collection, Jonas Bendiksen dove into the streets of Berlin in search of spontaneous moments of inspiration and convergence. In Berlin, he struck out on foot, letting his instincts be his guide, opening himself up to spontaneous moments of inspiration. For Bendiksen, these moments are found treasures, small stories that tell you everything about a place.
While in residence at Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection, Cristina de Middel immersed herself in the powerful light, nature, vibrant colors, and characters of San Pedro, playfully blurring the lines of fact and fiction in search of truth. In the world of de Middel’s photography, nothing is quite as it seems. Often, the strange appears ordinary, and the ordinary appears strange. This is by design. In San Pedro the intensity of the light and color became the jumping off point for experimentation, play, and discovery.
Gregory Halpern created a dynamic, emotional portrait of Oklahoma City through unconventional encounters with its people and landscape, while experiencing The National, Autograph Collection. Halpern likes to get to know a place in a roundabout way, by putting himself in the path of unexpected encounters. In Oklahoma City, this meant time spent in boxing gyms, a barber shop, a rodeo, and parts of the city both new and old.
During her stay at Mesm Tokyo, Autograph Collection, Alessandra Sanguinetti probed the surfaces of Tokyo in search of character and mystery, revealing unseen dimensions. Sanguinetti uses contrast to reveal the life beneath the surface, the life we don’t always see. Her images, which employ light and dark to dramatic effect, offer striking glimpses into the rich interior worlds and textures of ordinary lives in Tokyo.
“Photography has a unique ability to capture emotions, convey stories and effect change, just as travel does,” said Jennifer Connell, Global Brand Leader, Autograph Collection Hotels and Vice President, Distinctive Premium Brands, Marriott International. “Together with Fotografiska, we’re excited to shine a light on the vision, craft, heartfelt design, and unique stories of various Autograph Collection Hotels properties and their communities around the world through the lens of four wildly talented photographers, resulting in an indescribable, lasting impression.”
The Impressions project was unveiled at Fotografiska New York on July 21 (on-view until August 30), and will be traveling to Fotografiska’s soon-to-open Berlin and Shanghai locations in the coming months. The works of art will also travel to select Autograph Collection Hotels properties across the globe in late July through the end of the year, beginning with Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville, Autograph Collection in South Carolina, followed by The Press Hotel, Autograph Collection in Portland, Maine, Bankside Hotel, Autograph Collection in London, UK, and Nanjing, Jiangning, Autograph Collection in China.
“The connection between travel and photography is timeless, and why this collaboration with Autograph Collection Hotels has been a spot-on inaugural global partnership initiative.” said Karolina Dmowska, Global Vice President of Business Development & Partnerships, Fotografiska. “Impressions is a special project in showing the individuality of both inspiration and of the approaches that artists take to manifest their creative visions into being.”
To experience Impressions and discover more about the project and collaboration, visit https://autograph-hotels.com/fotografiska
