Cruise ships have become floating galleries, exposing guests to amazing works as they climb the stairs, dine and linger in public spaces.
Guests can see everything from “out there” contemporary works to the more sedate and conservative pieces plus heritage artwork that reflects the cruise line’s origins.
Sculpture and objets d’art are also on show.
It’s not until you come face to face with an original Faberge egg that you appreciate the intricate work and history behind it.
You may also find yourself starring at Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell Tomato tins on another cruise.
Self-guided tours are popular on ships as art lovers discover who painted what and what artists are showcased.
Here’s a taste of some of the artwork you may find on your next cruise.
Cunard’s Art – from Contemporary to Conservative
The work of artists including Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, L S Lowry, Sherree Valentine-Daines, Fabian Perez, Philip Gray, Christian Hook, and Rebecca Lardner can be found on all four Cunard Queens. There are also more contemporary names including Banksy protege, Mr Brainwash.
Clarendon Fine Art Gallery offers a well-curated collection of art which is open for viewing around the clock, 365 days a year.
Exhibitions feature original artwork including drawings, paintings and sculptures, and hand-signed limited editions.
There are more than 200 artists in Cunard’s portfolio, ranging from 20th-century masters to exciting newcomers.
Works displayed are regularly rotated during a voyage, and from cruise to cruise. Original artworks, hand-signed editions, and sculptures are all sold on board.
Gallery Events including exclusive previews and gallery tours, drinks receptions and seminars are offered.
From the provocative ‘Show me the Monet’ expose on worldwide art scandals, to the in-depth look at the life and works of extreme artist and adventurer, Philip Gray, there are many arts-focussed events on offer.
Viking’s Varied Art
Viking’s art collections pay homage to the cruise line’s heritage, centred on Nordic history and personalities.
Guests come face to face with a diverse spectrum of work by established and emerging artists, most of whom are Norwegian, whose work enhances the Nordic-influenced interiors.
Styles differ from digital to print, oil paintings to photography and sculpture, and have been handpicked for the depth with which they reflect Viking’s origins.
Featured artists include Queen Sonja of Norway and works that reflect upon the journeys of legendary polar explorer Roald Amundsen through the range of portraits, maps and books that celebrate his life.
Edvard Munch is the line’s most famous featured artist.
Viking hosts one of the largest collections of his work outside of the Oslo Munch Museum, with 35 pieces adorning the walls of its ocean ships sailing the globe.
Viking’s exclusive relationship with Oslo’s Munch Museum allows guests to see carefully curated paintings by Norway’s master expressionist.
Digital Rights
Viking has been granted the digital rights to the entire collection of Norway’s most famous artist. Viking’s ‘Munch Moments’ brings the magic of Munch to each of Viking’s Ocean ships with a daily digital event set to live music that provides an opportunity for guests to learn about his extraordinary life and work.
One piece of art is showcased per day in each ship’s atrium, using cutting edge projection technology to ensure the highest image quality no matter the time of day.
Viking Art Guide
Guests can download Viking’s free art guide app before departing on their cruise, to hear behind-the-scenes stories of Scandinavian public spaces, with insightful commentary. Once on board, the app can be used for a self-guided tour.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
A 1600-piece collection, featuring mainly contemporary art, took nearly two years to curate and commission for the newest ship Seven Seas Grandeur.
Artists and galleries worldwide were sourced for the impressive collection that includes a commissioned Fabergé Egg, “Journey in Jewels“. It’s the first and only Faberge Egg to reside permanently at sea.
There’s also a 12-metre hand-woven tapestry, “The Enchanted Tree”, created by world-renowned Brazilian artist Walter Goldfarb. The tapestry hangs in the ship’s lavish atrium, giving multiple vantage points of the breathtaking feat of intricately woven textiles.
Another exclusive piece features a custom-made bronze and hand-cast glass Bonsai Cherry Tree Sculpture by Savoy Studios, creating an experiential entrance to Pacific Rim, the ship’s pan-Asian specialty restaurant.
The Compass Rose restaurant features a canopy of interwoven crystal and wood-edged illuminated trees, giving the illusion of dining in an enchanted forest featuring thousands of individually placed crystal-faceted leaves. There are also three works by Pablo Picasso onboard.
Art Experience App
The digital art tour provides an immersive, interactive experience for guests to connect, not only with the artwork, but with the artist who created the piece. The tour will shine a light on works by Rauschenberg, Matta, Sophie Elizabeth Thompson and Eduardo Arranz-Bravo. Using expert technology, guests can scan select artworks via the app, and discover a film connecting them to the artist, their process and their inspiration for the piece.
Explora I and those Warhol Soup Tins
Explora Journey’s curated art collection and immersive art experiences on board EXPLORA I include a collection of rare limited-edition screenprints and lithographs by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. This new exhibition perfectly complements the permanent art collection of fine art and sculptures.
Every piece of the permanent art collection on board has been meticulously chosen by the owner’s family to embody a serene state of mind.
There’s a blend of renowned and emerging artists, alongside master artisans, enhancing every space from suites to restaurants, passing areas, lounges, and the lobby.
Campbell’s Soup I, Andy Warhol, 1968 – 8 Prints (Screenprint in colour on paper). Image: Explora Journeys
Sculptural masterpieces in the lobby by Yves Dana serve as a focal point, seamlessly integrating with the ship’s unique design. For the public areas on deck five, Yinka Shonibare’s extraordinary and important British Library collections, star.
British-Nigerian Shonibare exhibits his work across the globe and currently has pieces in the Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, MOMA in New York, the Perez Art Museum Miami, the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian in Washington DC and Moderna Museet in Stockholm.
