Hotel Normandie is subject of art exhibition at Capitol

“Normandie,” an exhibition opening Tuesday at the Capitol, is a collection of works by prominent artists that pays homage to the hotel that has stood as a symbol of modernity and collective memory within Puerto Rican architecture since the 1940s.

By THE STAR STAFF

On Tuesday, the Puerto Rico House of Representatives will pay tribute to the history of the venerable Hotel Normandie with the opening of a unique exhibition of oil and acrylic artworks that detail the history of the structure, which was inaugurated in October 1942 and has graced the entrance to the islet of Old San Juan ever since.

“Puerto Rico has many landmarks that, due to their unique designs, have impacted our society for decades. One of these is the Hotel Normandie,” House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez said Sunday in a press release. “Starting this coming Tuesday, our people will have the opportunity to enjoy a different art exhibition, focused on the history of this establishment, through a series of prints that detail its role in our society since its creation in 1942.”

“Normandie” is a collection of works by a number of prominent artists, created to pay homage to the hotel that has stood as a symbol of modernity and collective memory within Puerto Rican architecture since the 1940s. Among the artists who collaborated on the exhibition are Andrés Tavárez, Carlos Otero, Joey Nieves, Emilia Barrientos, Gilbert Salinas, Héctor Rodríguez, Hubert Caño, Ivonne Galanes, Jenniffer Nieves, Jorge Torres, José Otero, Marisol Torruella, Juan Velázquez, Pablo Montes, Nathan Budoff, René Rivera, Sandra González, Víctor Fuentes, and Adaia Berdecía.

For 30 days, works such as “Interior of the Normandie,” “NormanDIE,” “The Girls of the Normandie,” and “Nights of the Normandie,” among others, will be displayed in a corridor of the Capitol Building, a place visited by tens of thousands of people every year. The project celebrates the history and legacy of the iconic building, whose unmistakable silhouette -- inspired by a French ocean liner -- has shaped the visual and emotional landscape of San Juan for decades, becoming a cultural and urban landmark of the city.

The unique exhibition premiered at the prestigious Pamil Fine Arts Gallery and will continue its tour at the Roche Rabell Hall in the Capitol Building of Puerto Rico, before expanding to other cultural venues. The exhibition, which opens at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, aims to highlight the historical and architectural significance of the masterpiece of Caribbean Art Deco, conceived as a luxury hotel that represented the progress and international projection of the island.