The Relais de la Malmaison writes a new cultural page
Published on 7 June 2022, dans Hotel
About fifteen minutes from Paris, nestled by the Seine, the Hotel Le Relais de la Malmaison invites you to enjoy a bucolic and soothing setting. Our wooded park, our spa with its indoor swimming pool, and our suites opening onto large flower-bordered lawns offer you a haven of tranquillity. For a long time, we have dreamed of giving our hotel a distinctive cultural aspect. This has now been accomplished. Here’s a look back at the cocktail reception on May 19th which inaugurated this new page...
A convivial experience
On May 19th, our team invited our guests, suppliers, partners and elected officials to a cocktail reception in our Orangery. We wanted to share a new initiative based around opening our indoor and outdoor spaces to artists for long-term exhibitions. Our interior spaces, uncluttered and bathed in light, lend themselves perfectly to showcasing original works. In return, those works bring their energy and personality to our spaces. The grounds of the hotel, with their beautiful unobstructed perspectives, offer ideal spots for placing sculptures, including monumental ones, where they can be admired and enjoyed in an exquisite setting. The cocktail reception, with its stimulating interactions and conviviality, was wholeheartedly appreciated by all the participants and we would like to thank them warmly for their attendance. Hats off also to our team members, who ensured that everyone enjoyed this privileged occasion.
The monumental works of Gérard Pardo
All those who attended the cocktail reception on May 19th could not miss the monumental creations of Gérard Pardo. His magnificent bronze bull, three metres tall and weighing 2.5 tonnes, is the first of the artist’s creations to find a place in the gardens of the Relais de La Malmaison. This stunning sculpture is the result of more than two years of work by the Coubertin Foundry but also, and above all, years of research by the artist. After expressing himself through painting and poetry, Gérard now dedicates himself to sculpture. Although he loves the tactile sensations of handling the materials required to shape the fictitious or real characters and animals that populate his imagination, he also uses the very advanced technology of the 3D printer and resin to produce his models. They are then cast in large format bronze. At the Relais, in addition to the bull, you can also admire a magnificent cheetah placed on the Patio du Cottage and the emblematic lucky panther Elysalde, who prowls in front of the restaurant.
Christian Gorget, hypo-realist
Christian Gorget was classically trained and experimented with gouache before moving on to oils, but it was a trip to Greece that provided the inspiration that still drives his creative impulse. Inspired and informed by astrology and mythology, his painting leaves realism behind to embrace symbolism and touch on the abstract. His playful use of colours and movement invites us to daydream and open the doors to his imaginary world. His paintings find a complementary environment in the spaces of the Relais de La Malmaison, bringing their dreamlike qualities, their hypo-realism and their originality. As the day passes from the warm natural light of the sun to the subdued clarity of evening lighting, it reveals all the myriad facets of these works.
May 19th was an occasion of celebration and sharing for the Relais de La Malmaison team. A golden opportunity to involve the hotel’s guests, as well as its partners and local elected officials, in a commitment to culture that is truly close to all our hearts. A true haven at the gates of Paris, the Relais de La Malmaison aims to be a space open to culture as much as to the protection of the environment.
******
Photo: studio julke
Relais de la Malmaison, an exceptional setting near Paris