A life-size aluminium shark weighing 700 kilograms was installed yesterday in the fountain at the entrance The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
The art piece, titled Requin by French artist Mauro Corda, is on loan from Opera Gallery in DIFC's Gate Village and it joins the collection of 20 sculptures in the hotel. The shark is suspended behind a cage of ball-bearing chains that swing with movement and wind, mimicking the movement of waves. It joins at least four other similar fish scultures by Corda that are dotted around various locations in the hotel.
Requin's installation began at 10am yesterday morning when the fish arrived on the back of a truck parked in the hotel's delivery bay. Then, a team of 15 labourers placed a sturdy base in the centre of the fountain before returning to the truck to slowly lift the fish down and walk it over to the fountain. Under the guidance of representatives from the gallery and the hotel, the men deftly moved the sculpture into the fountain and onto the base.
Once it was in a central position the men then unwrapped it, freeing the chains and the fish and finally, it was polished to shine under the midday sun.
The hotel’s manager Lothar Quarz takes a very active interest in the art installed in the hotel and whilst he is under no illusion that the hotel is an art destination on a par with a gallery, he hopes that it will place the hotel on the map as somewhere to see interesting pieces.
“I don’t think people come to our hotel to see the art but when they do arrive and they see all of our pieces, it creates an added interest for the guests and it also creates memories. The art works we have here are very special to us and I’m very happy to welcome the shark.”
* For more info on the hotel click here
* To find out more about Opera Gallery, click here
