A facility accommodating hotel rooms and artist residences has opened in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto as a space for exchanges between hotel guests and contemporary artists.
The Kaganhotel, refurbished from a company dormitory, has three floors for hotel guests and one floor for artists-in-residence. May Inc., a Kyoto-based real estate planning firm, spent 10 months to make the five-story, one-basement dormitory into a space for artists who have difficulty finding ateliers.
(Kaganhotel's 5th-floor guest room decorated with art works)
The hotel can accommodate 24 guests, with rooms on the fifth floor decorated with works of residing artists, and bed covers printed with contemporary art. Guests can choose their favorite artists when making reservations.
Bunk beds on the second floor can be moved to make additional gallery space. Room charges range from 6,600 to 30,000 yen.
The third floor offers work and living space for up to 10 artists at a monthly rent of 55,000 yen. The basement can also be used as atelier and gallery.
Toshiyo Kusakabe, co-founder of May, says it is hoped that the facility can provide artists and hotel guests with opportunities for exchanges among them, helping inspire innovative art ideas.
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By Ko Obinata,