Beijing

It's a double cause for celebration. As part of the annual 798 Art Festival and to commemorate Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union which began on July 1, elite boutique hotel Grace Beijing will be hosting an exhibition by Polish photo-artist Ryszard Horowitz

The artist will be in residence at the hotel while exhibiting his retrospective show at the Rose Gallery in Beijing 798 Art Zone. The exhibition celebrates and is part of the annual 798 Art Festival.

Horowitz is internationally renowned as a "photo-composer" for blending the artistic genres of both painting and photography, an approach that is also in evidence at Grace Beijing which combines the ancient and modern in its look and feel.

Guests at the hotel can also enjoy a first look, and discounts when purchasing works during the exhibition.

The Grace Hotels Group is an award-winning luxury boutique hotel group that has attracted critical acclaim since the first opened in Greece's Cyclades Islands in 2007. In 2011 the group announced its entry into Asia with the acquisition of the Grace Beijing. Grace Hotels is part of the family-owned global conglomerate, the Libra Group, which operates from 18 locations across four continents.

Philippe Requin, chief executive officer of Grace Hotels, says: "We welcome Horowitz to our hotel. Grace Beijing is already a part of the thriving cultural scene in 798 Art District and at the heart of the city's artistic life.

"We are committed to the fashion and art community, hosting exhibitions and shows, and offer a perfect destination for social and business travel alike in a stimulating, relaxing environment where comfort and style are our signature."

After Beijing, Horowitz's exhibition will travel to Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The Beijing 798 Art Zone is in Beijing's Chaoyang district. It was originally created as an industrial complex in the early 1950s as part of the Chinese government's first Five Year Plan. The highly functional architecture, which was heavily influenced by the Bauhaus movement, created large indoor spaces designed to let natural light into the workplace. It wasn't until 1995 when Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) was looking for workspace that they selected the disused factory area as the perfect environment for artists. Since then it has become home to many Beijing artists as well as numerous art galleries and bookshops, and it is also a center for fashion design and architecture.

You can contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.