(Design)With this type of transformative power in mind, luxury hospitality brand Belmond (a firm believer in integrating the value of art and design into its sites) has invested in six temporary Buren works to grace six iconic properties as part of its MITICO project.

MITICO is a unique initiative from the LVMH-owned brand in collaboration with Galleria Continua, the renowned Paris-headquartered international contemporary art gallery. Launched in 2022, it offers artists the unique platform to use prestigious properties in the Belmond collection as canvases for creating exquisite temporary works for the enjoyment of their guests. Unlike previous years, the 2024 edition is a solo effort by Buren, who created works across the Belmond properties—La Residencia in Mallorca, Villa San Michele and Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Mount Nelson in Cape Town, Copacabana Beach Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, and the iconic Hotel Cipriani in Venice.

Buren’s artistic philosophy has always been deeply rooted in the ‘in situ’ concept: creating works intrinsically linked to their environment. This approach can be traced back to his early influences from the 1960s avant-garde movement, where the notion of site-specific art began to gain prominence. Inspired by artists like Sol LeWitt and Lawrence Weiner, Buren developed his unique style, characterized by bold stripes and a deliberate rejection of traditional studio practices. His works, which include hanging a massive 66-foot striped banner in the Guggenheim Museum’s rotunda and adding spectacular stain glassed windows to the Louis Vuitton Foundation’s sprawling architectural sails in Paris, are designed to challenge perceptions and engage viewers directly within their everyday contexts, creating an immersive experience.

“When we visited these places to brainstorm ideas, it felt like stepping onto the moon,” says Buren of the challenge to build a concept for a series around Belmond sites in what he describes as “utterly unfamiliar territory.” “But gradually, as we envisioned a cohesive theme for these prestigious hotels in extraordinary locations, things started to take shape. Ultimately, it’s the essence of the place itself that dictates what will unfold there.”

Under the ‘in situ’ concept, Buren distilled his creative ideas to form solutions truly of their place—works that harmoniously intersect with the chosen sites’ landscapes and architecture. Labelled ‘Haltes Colorées’, the series features eye-catching colors subtly integrated into the installations. For example, at South Africa’s Mount Nelson, Buren created an installation around a historic fountain, using his signature stripes and mirrors to produce a mesmerizing interplay of light and reflection. In Rio de Janeiro’s beach-side Copacabana Palace, captivating colored vinyl elements transformed the façade, bringing a vibrant new energy to the building. At Villa San Michele in Florence, Buren’s work focuses on the bar’s skylight, while at La Residencia in Mallorca, guests dine under a translucent pergola that casts colorful patterns. At Castello di Casole in Tuscany, the landscape becomes the showcase, framed by three black and white ‘portals’—shapes of a circle, square, and triangle.

While some sources sum up Buren’s work as “instagrammable” because of its supremely photogenic nature, it truly needs to be seen ‘in situ’ to be properly appreciated. The thoughtful, site-specific works of MITICO (a number of which will remain open into November 2024) demonstrate how Buren’s art transcends mere decoration, engaging deeply with each location to offer guests a unique and transformative experience. By integrating art, nature, and architecture, Buren’s installations inspire viewers to see these iconic properties in a new light.