Positioning itself as an artistic and cultural enclave, Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau has a number of beautiful artworks located around the property, offering the perfect opportunity for art lovers to explore and discover these hidden treasures.
Arguably the most famous of the art works on display at Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau is the impressive Window of Tomar carved wooden mirror frame that rests high atop the central staircase in the hotel lobby. The original Window at the Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portual was carved in stone in 1510 and symbolises the heroism of seafarers during the Age of Discovery. The replica at the hotel was made in 1953 in Lisbon, and is one-third the size of the original, standing at four metres high, two metres wide and weighing 400 kilograms. It took the team of skilled artisans at Lisbon’s famous Fundacao Ricardo Espirito Santo 3,650 hours to recreate the intricate carvings, which can now be admired up close by visitors to the hotel. Casting your gaze to the very top of the frame, you can see an astrolabe, an ancient navigational tool which guided the early Portuguese explorers to Macau in the 16th century.
Venturing further up to the Mezzanine level, guests are confronted by yet another large-scale artwork in the form of a magnificent tapestry by renowned Portuguese artist Guilherme Camarinha. Beginning his career as a painter, in his later years Camarinha dedicated himself mostly to public art. He was one of the first artists to collaborate with Portalegre’s Tapestry, in 1949. Several monumental tapestries were produced based on his works, commissioned by the Portuguese government for the Reading Salon of the National Library, Portuguese Parliament, Cabinet of Ministers, courtrooms of various Court-houses, such as in Lisbon and Amarante. Guests at Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau can appreciate the fine details of his work, in this tapestry that depicts the perilous life of early explorers on the open seas.
Wandering over to the other side of the Mezzanine level, near the entrance to Vasco Bar, guests will find yet more valuable artwork, this time by Richard Winkworth. Winkworth’s art depicts stylistic and vibrantly coloured still-lifes, usually with cups, bowls, plates and jars arranged to create visual illusions of perceived space.
The tour of the property’s artworks continues as guests enter the delightful surrounds of Café Bela Vista, whose walls are adorned by magnificent water colour paintings by George Smirnoff. The Russian architect and painter captured many of Macau’s buildings and streetscapes during his residence here in the 1940’s. Interestingly, he and his family took refuge in the Bela Vista Hotel during Second World War, and today, appropriately, they are at home in Café Bela Vista at Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau.
The final piece of artwork is actually to be found just outside the grounds of the hotel. The bronze statue of Xian Xinghai pays tribute to this prolific composer, who was born in Macau in 1905 and is fondly regarded as the Chinese people’s musician and herald of modern Chinese music.
