Two Open Gallery installations help the Berkeley Square make the cut for an exclusive Guardian list
The Berkeley Square is Bristol's first art hotel. A walk through the corridors and into the rooms allows you to chance upon some hidden gems of the Bristol contemporary art scene.
It's downstairs however, in the Square Private Members Club, that the full spectacle is realised. The first room is a quirky lounge area, full of one-off pieces of furniture, mannequins and giant peacocks, all set against the back drop of an Open Gallery video painting installation that embraces the entire back wall. It gives the room a sense of activity yet serenity through the subtle changes of the moving imagery and its situation in the dynamic surroundings of the club of this boutique hotel.
Through sliding glass doors you step into the AA Rosette winning restaurant with an ever-changing display of original art works from galleries based in Bristol and beyond. Every three months the featured artworks are changed and the Square Club takes on a new persona, but the Open Gallery installations are a constant presence in the club.
Down a spiral iron staircase one finds a luxurious cocktail bar with lounge chairs and a raised VIP area. On the wall opposite the bar another Open Gallery installation, this group series of video paintings darker and more urban in temperament: the Underground series, which features works by artists including Alex Bettler, Sanchita Islam and Isabelle Inghilleri.
Congratulations to Bristol's best boutique hotel and Guardian-approved Berkeley Square. We're confident that there will be many more accolades to come!
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