An Xiaotong creates an interactive artwork for Le Méridien Etoile during FIAC

Visitors to Le Méridien Etoile in Paris during FIAC were in for an interactive surprise. Alongside artists and Le Méridien staff, guests were invited by Chinese artist An Xiaotong to help her put the finishing touches to her Lego work, Constellation, in the hotel’s soaring glass foyer, on the occasion of Paris’ FIAC 2012 art fair. The eye-popping work is third in the artist’s triptych titled Creative Journey, which began at Le Méridien Shimei Bay and continued at Le Méridien Etiler Istanbul.

The occasion was momentous, even among the art world elite, who converged on the city during FIAC. Le Méridien has transformed itself into a veritable cultural institution since hiring the curator and enfant terrible Jérôme Sans to work with galleries, curators and artists worldwide to give Le Méridien access to a wealth of art. The hotel chain is now well known for giving guests an insider art experience. Likewise Sans, through his work founding the contemporary art space Palais de Tokyo, has become a darling of the city’s art establishment. In his hometown, Sans was able to give special guests of the hotel a very personal FIAC experience.

It began with the hands-on interaction with Xiaotong’s Constellation, an homage to the cosmos in red, yellow and black Lego blocks. Dinner followed, conceived by Etoile’s chef in collaboration with Xiaotong herself: French delicacies with a spicy, Chinese twist.

To help guests connect back to Xiaotong’s creative process, Sans organised a private visit to the Paris studio the artist shares with her husband Wang Du, where they viewed the evolution of Xiaotong’s work, from her evocative portraits to the current Lego series, along with Wang Du’s striking sculpture. There was then a private tour around the Palais de Tokyo’s ‘Imagine the Imaginary’ exhibition, in which artists from different generations capture the creative process through contemporary art. It was a rare opportunity to view the new Palais through the eyes of the man who helped launch it.

On the eve of FIAC’s opening to the public, Sans led the group on a private viewing of its most important works, among others, he stopped at two light boxes by the Californian multimedia artist Doug Aitken and the recent photography of Cindy Sherman. He also praised the installation work of South African artist Kendell Geers, a fellow maverick of the European art scene.

Sans welcomed Xiaotong and her husband along with guests and representatives from Le Méridien Etoile and its network of creative visionaries, the artists and curators that help the hotel maintain its cultural cachet.

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An Xiaotong carefully attaches Lego bricks to a plaque base to create her 'Constellation' artwork

Chinese artist and LM100™ member An Xiaotong carefully attaches Lego bricks to a plaque base to create her 'Constellation' artwork

(Image credit: press)

Constellation took just over a week to complete

Constellation took just over a week to complete

(Image credit: press)

Associates and guests from Le Méridien Etoile were invited to help with the construction of the giant artwork

Associates and guests from Le Méridien Etoile were invited to help with the construction of the giant artwork

(Image credit: press)

Associates and guests from Le Méridien Etoile were invited to help with the construction of the giant artwork

Associates and guests from Le Méridien Etoile were invited to help with the construction of the giant artwork

(Image credit: press)

Several layers of Lego were used to give Constellation the desired transition of colours as well as a multi-layered 3D effect

Several layers of Lego were used to give Constellation the desired transition of colours as well as a multi-layered 3D effect

(Image credit: press)

The finished artwork included over 120,000 individual Lego blocks

The finished artwork included over 120,000 individual Lego blocks

(Image credit: press)

Constellation (2012) is the third of three Creative Journey Lego artworks, created for Le Méridien hotels by An Xiaotong

Constellation (2012) is the third of three Creative Journey Lego artworks, created for Le Méridien hotels by An Xiaotong

(Image credit: press)

‘Méduse’ (2012) is the first of the works in the series, created for Le Méridien Shimei Bay, China, by An Xiaotong

‘Méduse’ (2012) is the first of the works in the series, created for Le Méridien Shimei Bay, China, by An Xiaotong

(Image credit: press)

Thierry Henrot, General Manager of Le Méridien Etoile, and one of the Starwood Preferred Guest members during the private tour of An Xiaotong’s Paris studio

Thierry Henrot, General Manager of Le Méridien Etoile, and one of the Starwood Preferred Guest members during the private tour of An Xiaotong’s Paris studio

(Image credit: press)

An Xiaotong explains the thought behind her artwork series, inspired by social networks, during the private tour of her Paris studio

An Xiaotong explains the thought behind her artwork series, inspired by social networks, during the private tour of her Paris studio

(Image credit: press)

An Xiaotong shares her Paris studio with her husband, Chinese artist Wang Du, who showed visitors his striking sculptures

An Xiaotong shares her Paris studio with her husband, Chinese artist Wang Du, who showed visitors his striking sculptures

(Image credit: press)

FIAC VIP Dinner celebrating Le Méridien’s partnership with the art fair

Le Méridien Global Cultural Curator, Jérôme Sans, joined An Xiaotong and her husband Wang Du at the FIAC VIP Dinner celebrating Le Méridien’s partnership with the art fair

(Image credit: press)

Turkish artist duo and LM100™ members :mentalKLINIK designed a unique coffee cup with illy which was given to dinner guests at the end of the event

Turkish artist duo and LM100™ members :mentalKLINIK designed a unique coffee cup with illy which was given to dinner guests at the end of the event

(Image credit: press)

XXXX and Flavio Bucciarelli, Starwood Area Director for France and Monaco

Video artist and LM100™ member Marcus Kreiss, founder of Souvenirs from Earth, has specially selected video artworks to be shown in Le Méridien Hotels and Resorts worldwide. He is pictured with XXXX and Flavio Bucciarelli, Starwood Area Director for France and Monaco

(Image credit: press)

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).