Le Meridien announces the art is life™ tour
Le meridien’s unique fundraising programme in partnership with unicef inspires guests to support hiv prevention projects
The Pan-European Tour Commenced 16 July in Monte Carlo
at Le Méridien Beach Plaza
Le Méridien proudly launches the ART IS LIFE programme – a pioneering partnership with UNICEF which uses art as a means to inspire guests to support projects that raise awareness of HIV prevention amongst young people. The ART IS LIFE tour is a temporary exhibition of artworks by acclaimed international artists. The six city pan-European tour commenced on 16 July 2009 at Le Méridien Beach Plaza in Monte Carlo. The exhibition will be featured at the hotel through 26 July 2009 before traveling to its next destination, Le Méridien Vienna, in August.
All of the exhibits illustrate the reality of HIV in Africa and include a film, Breaking the Silence by Kiki Allgeier; photographs of the making of Breaking the Silence by Mauro Pinto and the art installation ‘Dome Dwellings – Africa’ by Lucy and Jorge Orta. This tour extends the impact of the launch of ART IS LIFE which took place last December in Paris at Le Méridien Etoile to six key cities in Europe.
Robyn Pratt, Vice President Brand Management, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts comments: “Since launching the ART IS LIFE programme in Paris in December 2008 our guests have already made a significant contribution to UNICEF’s work in tackling HIV in Africa. The new ART IS LIFE tour combines the powers of different art forms – film, photography and art installation – to communicate a strong message on the importance of HIV prevention amongst young people in Africa.
The exhibition will visit six key European cities over the coming six months:
July – Le Méridien Beach Plaza, Monte Carlo
August – Le Méridien Vienna
September – Le Méridien Barcelona
October – Le Méridien Brussels
November – Le Royal Méridien Hamburg
December – Le Méridien Etoile, Paris
The exhibition will stay at each location for ten days with the artwork being displayed in the hotel lobby.
Michel Cottray, General Manager of Le Méridien Beach Plaza comments: “We are very proud to be one of the selected cities hosting the ART IS LIFE tour at Le Méridien Beach Plaza. I look forward to welcoming both hotel guests and local residents from across the city to discover the work done by UNICEF in Africa while having the opportunity to support this program with the help of Le Méridien.”
This pan-European art tour illustrates Le Méridien’s continued commitment to the unique ART IS LIFE programme in partnership with UNICEF. The programme supports projects that encourage young people to take the lead in raising awareness of HIV prevention and communicating life-saving skills to peers through the innovative use of children’s media, drama, music and other creative activities.
Guests in Le Méridien’s entire network of hotels and resorts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East have the opportunity to support the work by agreeing to the addition of US$1 (or local currency equivalent) to their bills when they check out.
UNICEF Head of Corporate Partnerships Anne Shinkwin commented: “75 percent of young people in the developing world do not know how to stay safe from HIV. So if we are to reduce rates of new infection, it is essential that a greater emphasis is placed on HIV education amongst this group. By supporting the ‘ART IS LIFE programme, Le Méridien guests will be helping UNICEF empower young people in Africa with the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe and help them realize their right to a life free from HIV.”
The thought provoking exhibits which form the ART IS LIFE tour include Breaking the Silence, a short film that documents the reality of the AIDS epidemic through a glimpse into the lives of the children of Maputo. The film is the result of Le Méridien’s invitation to Kiki Allgeier, a member of its LM100™ family of creatives to film in Mozambique, participating currently in various short film festivals.
In addition, Mozambique photographer Mauro Pinto’s colour shots of the making of Breaking the Silence will also be on display. These poignant images portray a true intimacy between the subject and the lens and give Breaking the Silence an added dimension by showcasing elements, which either did not make the final cut or which were never even caught on film.
Finally, contemporary artists, Lucy and Jorge Orta were chosen to highlight the impact of HIV on children’s lives in Africa and the work of UNICEF by creating four Dome Dwellings, ‘Dome Dwellings – Africa’, two/four of which are on show at Le Méridien Beach Plaza. On each of these installations, they have included text, images and designs to communicate messages about HIV. These tents represent the tents often used by mobile units to provide confidential HIV counselling in rural communities in countries across Africa
The ART IS LIFE programme is part of ‘Check Out for Children’, a wider partnership between Le Méridien’s parent company Starwood Hotels & Resorts and UNICEF, which has raised over US$21 million for UNICEF since 1995.
