Oceania Cruises has forged a new partnership with the Sydney-based Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), underlining its dedication to supporting the arts sector and curating unique opportunities and offers for its valued guests and trade partners.
Located on the edge of Sydney Harbour at Circular Quay, the MCA is the world’s most visited contemporary art museum, dedicated to showing and collecting only the work of living artists. The MCA’s vision is to make contemporary art and ideas widely accessible to a range of audiences through a diverse program of exhibitions and special events, both onsite and offsite, from major thematic exhibitions and solo surveys by established artists, to the new work of emerging artists, touring exhibitions and community-led projects.
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Marking this new partnership, Oceania Cruises will be a Supporting Partner of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s major summer exhibition by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh as part of the 2022/23 Sydney International Art Series (SIAS).
Do Ho Suh is known for his large-scale sculptures and architectural installations, which address the often complex relationships between the body, memory and space. Spanning three decades, from the 1990s to the present, the artist’s first solo exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere presents emblematic works across a wide range of media that include large-scale installations, sculptures, drawings, printmaking, and video works.
Opening on 28 October, Do Ho Suh is curated by guest curator Rachel Kent, Chief Executive Officer, Bundanon Trust NSW, with MCA Associate Curator Megan Robson. One of the artist’s most comprehensive projects to date, the Sydney-exclusive exhibition brings together significant loans from public and private collections, alongside a major new sculptural work.
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, supporting the MCA’s Sydney International Art Series,” said Steve Odell, Senior Vice President & Managing Director Asia Pacific, Oceania Cruises.
“Many of our guests are art afficionados who like to immerse themselves in contemporary art and culture, so we see a genuine synergy between the two brands. We look forward to supporting Do Ho Suh’s inspired new collection for SIAS 2022,” Odell said.
“Our two O-Class ships, Marina and Riviera, are home to some of the most extensive art collections at sea, which have been personally collected and curated by our brand’s founders and acclaimed by critics and art enthusiasts alike. We cannot wait to support the work of contemporary artists, and to explore the MCA’s outstanding Sydney International Art Series with our discerning guests and travel partners,” Odell added.
“The MCA’s vision is to make contemporary art and ideas widely accessible to a range of audiences, and we are excited to partner with Oceania Cruises, whose own passion for art and creating rich cultural experiences for its guests is a shared vision at the MCA,’ said new MCA Director, Suzanne Cotter.
Oceania Cruises’ Onboard Art Collection
While most cruise lines use third-party contractors to select the decorative art for their ships, Oceania Cruises Founders Frank Del Rio and Bob Binder travelled the world, visiting galleries, auctions and artists’ studios to handpick every piece to build the collections on board Marina and Riviera. In fact, some of their finds even influenced the design of distinctive onboard spaces, such as the Grand Dining Room, which was inspired by the figurative paintings of Daniel Adel.
True to their vision to amass a collection akin to that of a private collector in a luxury home –but on a scale never seen before at sea – the art on board ranges from painting to sculpture to blown glass, with masterpieces from renowned names like Picasso and Miró sitting alongside works by artists such as Li Dominguez Fong, Carlos Luna, Pedro Avila Gendis, Leon Belsky, Victor Gomez and Daniela Wicki.
Oceania Cruises guests are often seen admiring and debating artwork throughout the ship, a testament to the founders’ success in choosing pieces that were ‘bold and interesting, that made a statement, provoked conversation and inspired emotion’.
The Artist Loft
For an immersive onboard art experience, the Artist Loft located onboard Marina, Riviera and Insignia world cruises offers an inspiring environment for budding artists to explore their creativity, socialise with like-minded guests and enhance their skills under the expert guidance of talented Artists-in-Residence.
From step-by-step instruction in oil or watercolour painting to sketching or creating collages, classes are continually changing and designed to suit the spectrum of experience, from beginners to seasoned professionals.
Just as Oceania Cruises transports guests to enjoy art in diverse destinations around the world, the new partnership supports the Museum of Contemporary Art’s commitment to showcase the world’s most inspiring and engaging contemporary art in Australia.
Lead image: Suzanne Cotter, MCA with Steve Odell, Oceania Cruises