Alchemy by The Peninsula Chicago

To commemorate the opening of EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, The Peninsula Chicago today unveiled Alchemy, a significant art installation by renowned Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa and curated by Pearl Lam Galleries. A celebration of Chicago’s place at the heart of the global contemporary art scene, the installation will be displayed in The Lobby at The Peninsula Chicago through March 20, 2016, as a part of The Peninsula Hotels’ global art and Breast Cancer awareness initiative, The Art of Pink.

Renowned for his colorful installations using materials often sourced in Korean street markets, Mr. Choi has exhibited at the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the Hayward Gallery in London and in solo shows at museums worldwide. Alchemy, his site-specific light installation for The Peninsula Chicago, consists of found LED lights, plastic bowls and steel in 24 «totem pole» pillars. Mr. Choi personally oversaw the installation of the work in the Peninsula’s main lobby, the heart and social center of the hotel.

Additionally, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mr. Choi has donated one of the pillars from Alchemy for the hotel to auction to rais1e funds for Chicago’s Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation. The partnership with Pearl Lam Galleries is the latest representation of The Peninsula Hotels’ ongoing support of innovative public art around the world.

«We hope that this collaboration will contribute to Chicago’s position in the international arts community, and the growing recognition of our city as an arts hub,» said Maria Razumich-Zec, Regional Vice President and General Manager of The Peninsula Chicago. «Ultimately, we would like to realize a dream, which is to showcase pioneering public art that excites, challenges and spurs dialogue.»

(Featured Image: The Peninsula Chicago debuts art installation by renowned Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa for Expo Chicago)