Pioneer in Luxury Travel, Intercontinental, Unveils Immersive Art Installation Celebrating 75 Years Of Exploring The World in Partnership With Artist Claire Luxton

In celebration of its 75th anniversary, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has unveiled ‘The Elegance of Worldliness’, an exciting new art installation in collaboration with up-and coming British artist Claire Luxton. More than an exploration of beauty and colour, the campaign is a celebration of travel, wanderlust, and time, inspired by distinctive InterContinental destinations around the world, and the glamour and exhilaration that comes with discovery.  

A contemporary multi-disciplinary artist, working with photography, installation, poetry and painting, Claire Luxton’s visionary work will transform the façade of the iconic InterContinental London Park Lane with large-scale physical and digital artworks paying homage to the brand’s global journey from the first, to now the world’s largest, luxury hotel brand. The art installation can be experienced for the entire month from 8th December 2021. 

‘The Elegance of Worldliness’ is expressed through a variety of motifs representing some of the destinations where the InterContinental brand has established a presence in its 75-year history. Portrayed through Luxton’s signature flora and fauna; birds, butterflies, and botanicals, native to distinct parts of the world, are woven into natural, intertwining greenery, reflecting a sense of  discovery and exploration, and embodying the desire and curiosity of the global traveller. 

Motifs include a large South American parrot, the blue and yellow macaw, representing Brazil where the first InterContinental hotel opened in Belem, and a North American corn lily plant, also known as Indian basket grass, which pays tribute to InterContinental The Willard in Washington, D.C. where Martin Luther King Jnr. famously made the final touches to his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. The installation’s Bird-of-Paradise flower, named after Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom, highlights the royal significance of InterContinental London Park Lane, the location (formerly 145  Piccadilly) where Queen Elizabeth spent much of her childhood. 

Speaking on the partnership, Claire Luxton said: “I’m thrilled to be partnering with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts to mark its 75th anniversary with this unique art installation. Travelling is especially important to my work as I draw inspiration from places, cultures, and stories. The InterContinental brand stands for everything I love about travel – discovery through immersion into beautiful destinations accompanied by the most gracious hosts. ‘The Elegance of Worldliness’ keeps to my quintessential natural wildlife aesthetic, using it to signify the global breadth of the InterContinental brand, and its 75 years of opening doors to new places and cultures.”

Tom Rowntree, vice president, global luxury brands at IHG Hotels & Resorts commented: “We were the very first international luxury hotel brand, a true pioneer in the industry. Today, we have more than 200 hotels in some of the world’s most exciting destinations and are looking forward to the next 75 years of continued innovation in delivering the best of luxury travel. Claire Luxton’s modern and energetic work brings to life the delight of discovering beautiful places and the elegance of the InterContinental brand. We’re delighted to partner with Claire for this art installation, with many more exciting plans in the works for 2022.” 

Members of the public are invited to enjoy ‘The Elegance of Worldliness’ – a 20 metres projection and a 40 metres window installation at InterContinental London Park Lane, One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, London from 8th December 2021, with additional activity to take place from January 2022. Aspects of Luxton's work will also be available to global travellers through an interactive social media filter, available through Claire’s Instagram and QR codes on the window installation.  

For more information on the InterContinental 75th Diamond Anniversary, visit intercontinental.com/75thanniversary.