Radisson Collection launches second Art Series exhibition with photographer paperboyo to celebrate hotel opening in Bilbao

Radisson Collection - Radisson Hotel Group’s luxury lifestyle collection of iconic properties - is proud to launch its second global Art Series exhibition in partnership with English photographer and visual artist, Rich McCor (aka Paperboyo). This exhibition launch celebrates the opening of the exceptional Radisson Collection Hotel, Gran Vía Bilbao with the backdrop of famed culinary event 50 Next, alongside award-winning Michelin-star chef, Eneko Atxa.

Taking place during the week of one of the world’s most prestigious culinary events, 50 Next – The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the second Radisson Collection Art Series event launched over the past few days with the culinary, art, and design worlds coming together in one of the world’s most vibrant and cutting-edge cities, as the Group celebrates the opening of its luxury lifestyle Radisson Collection property, Radisson Collection Hotel, Gran Vía Bilbao. Following McCor’s collaboration with Radisson Collection over the past 6 months, the hotel launched an exhibition of the artist’s work for a select group of media and guests over an exceptional 3-day program, whilst future guests will also have the opportunity to see the artwork in the hotel for the following 6-month period.

Guests attending the Art Series event had the opportunity to meet and interview Radisson Collection brand partner and artist, Rich McCor (known on Instagram as ‘Paperboyo’), who is in residence at the hotel to produce content around the hotel and city of Bilbao, and to launch his exhibition. With his camera, McCor creates forced perspective illusions with crafted paper cut-outs to transform and embellish his surroundings which guests during the event had the opportunity to see first-hand, during an interactive and intimate experience with the artist. McCor launched his collaboration with Radisson Collection in the United Kingdom at The Edwardian Manchester, A Radisson Collection Hotel, where he was inspired by the landscape, designs, and scenery around him, as well as the hotel’s mix of modern and Victorian architecture which he brought to life and captured from a new perspective with his signature brand of illustrative photographic art and humor. He has then gone on to discover Radisson Collection hotels in Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen and now, Bilbao.

During an intimate "Meet the Artist" session, guests attending the event heard how McCor was inspired by Radisson Collection Hotel, Gran Vía Bilbao’s historic building, its renewed Art Déco style with Japanese touches, and by the destination of Bilbao itself as a cultural hub of art and design, to create his latest series of artworks. McCor then led an exclusive photo walk to discuss some of the city’s most exceptionally designed buildings – including Anish Kapoor’s Tall Tree & The Eye sculpture - and guests were able to watch McCor in action bringing the city to life through his inimitable photography. Some of the destination stops included the Zubizuri Bridge designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, the 83m Isozaki twin tower apartment buildings designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, and the multi-purpose venue, the Alhóndiga, created by French designer Philippe Starck in collaboration with Thibaut Mathie, as well as Frank Gehry’s masterpiece and hotel partner, the iconic Guggenheim Museum. Guests visiting the hotel can now reserve an exclusive experience package for their stay incorporating a visit to the Guggenheim to enrich their stay.

Attendees also experienced traditional Basque pintxos and a local cooking class while taking in the sites of the Mercado de La Ribera, Casco Viejo, Plaza Nueva, and the Moyua metro station. In the evening, guests enjoyed an unparalleled gastronomic experience uniting Basque and Japanese cuisine, with a specially curated menu by local award-winning Michelin-star Chef Eneko Atxa – resident chef at NKO Restaurant on the hotel’s rooftop - followed by creative cocktails at the hotel’s rooftop bar to enjoy panoramic views of Bilbao.

Radisson Collection Hotel, Gran Vía Bilbao proudly houses the world’s first NKO restaurant by Eneko Atxa on its spectacular rooftop terrace with vertical gardens, colorful umbrellas, and a striking geometric black and white marble floor. Famed for his innovative take on gastronomy, Eneko Atxa's cuisine is pure flavor, with a strong focus on sustainability. Intense and unique, tradition and avant-garde interact in a balanced way: a gastronomic experience that pays homage to the senses and to the culinary heritage of the Basque Country which has many links to that of Japanese cuisine. From 23rd-25th June, Eneko Atxa also attended the famed culinary event 50 Next – The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 edition in Bilbao: the inaugural list issued by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants to celebrate the biggest future gamechangers in gastronomy. Eneko’s cuisine is featured as the perfect mix of two elements: Basque cuisine - Eneko’s original - perfectly blended with Japanese, - a cuisine that Atxa has loved for more than 15 years when he first traveled to Japan and discovered the gastronomic cultural wealth of the country.

Radisson Collection Hotel, Gran Vía Bilbao is the Group’s second Radisson Collection hotel in Spain and follows the opening of Radisson Collection Hotel, Magdalena Plaza Sevilla last year as part of the Group’s strong expansion plans in Spain. This five-star hotel occupies the former headquarters of Banco Hispano Americano, built in 1945, and offers 137 rooms over six floors, including two impressive rooftop suites with private terraces featuring a jacuzzi and stunning views of the city. The elegant interior design features marble, natural stone, and wood, together with a color range in elegant earth tones complemented by gold and blue hues with artwork inspired by Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida. The hotel’s fitness and spa area, complete with indoor pool and yoga studio, is expected to open in the coming months.

Radisson Collection has a strong heritage of connecting with art and design dating back to the SAS Royal Hotel in Hammerichsgade, designed by Arne Jacobsen, one of the greatest Danish architects of the twentieth century which later became the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen, as it is known today. Today, art and design are recurring signature elements in Radisson Collection hotels, which feature art from both local and internationally celebrated artists together with offering complementary guest experiences such as partnerships to unlock local art galleries or museums such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. This second artistic collaboration follows the first exhibition and event, which was held at Radisson Collection Hotel, Palazzo Touring Club Milan, in the lead up to the city’s most exciting annual calendar moment, Milan Fashion Week, earlier this year with fashion illustrator Mr.Slowboy. Radisson Collection will soon announce the next artists to form part of the brand’s global Art Series as these art partners continue to take guests on a unique journey across Radisson Collection destinations through the medium of art.

Stay tuned on the brand’s Instagram account for all the latest content and news here.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Sophie Clarke, Global Director Consumer PR & Social Media  
sophie.clarke@radissonhotels.com 

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ABOUT PAPERBOYO:

Rich McCor is a photographer who has been described as "a non-destructive vandal"; with his camera he creates forced perspective illusions with crafted paper cut-outs to transform and embellish his surroundings. Starting in London as a hobby, it quickly got out of hand and became a full-time career just a year later once his work went viral. Now Rich travels the world transforming the skyline around him from well-known scenes like New York's Statue of Liberty and Hong Kong's Harbour to lesser known landscapes such as the vistas of Kiruna and Beach Huts in Ontario. He has grown a social media following of half a million and has been hired by numerous companies and celebrities to bring his unique perspective to their brands, and has now been working with Radisson Collection over the past year.