The hotel, be it flophouse or five-star, is what distinguishes cosmopolitan man from the nomad. Yes, it may be a humdrum need for shelter and food that brings us to hotels. But when we slip into that unfamiliar room, and for one night make it our own, we can also find ourselves transported to a different state of consciousness -- a stimulating world of new possibilities. This weekend, the Tokyo art scene takes a break from its white cube galleries and checks into a Shinjuku hotel for an intimate two-day affair known as "Art@Agnes".
Like many hotel stories, this one is about people. "Art@Agnes" got its start in 2004, when a businessman named Toru Senga took over a hotel located in the old-style shitamachi neighborhood of Kagurazaka. The Agnes Hotel and Apartments is a midsize operation that prides itself on personal service. Almost half the guests are foreign, a good number hailing from France, drawn by French cuisine on the hotel's menu and a French school in the neighborhood.
Back to the story. Senga saw a television report about a hotel with rooms designed by artists from Art Basel Miami Beach, a major international art fair held in Florida each winter. Keen to foster a similar atmosphere of cultural appreciation at his new property, Senga turned to his old elementary school friend Atsuko Koyanagi -- who happens to be one of the most respected contemporary art gallerists in Tokyo.