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The third season of MITICO, Belmond’s annual artistic series with Galleria Continua, marks a new chapter by spotlighting a single artist for the first time—world-renowned contemporary artist Daniel Buren. Launched in February last year at Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town, the series continued with new commissions at some of Belmond’s iconic properties: Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro; Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence; Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel, Tuscany; Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice; and La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, Mallorca.
Titled Haltes Colorées (Colourful Halt), each of these six site-specific art installations invited viewers to pause and experience a fresh perspective on its surroundings and the unique landscapes of each location. Through the latest MITICO global series, Belmond’s storied properties continue to serve as a canvas for contemporary artistic expression, blending the heritage of the past with a vision for the future.
Buren shares insight on the series: “What brings together the six Haltes of the 2024 MITICO season (Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Tuscany, Venice, Florence and Mallorca) is the beauty of each location's environment. Celebrating nature and architecture, these six highly varied in situ works offer a new perspective on Belmond's properties, fitting into a different space each time.”
“Born in 1938 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Daniel Buren lives and works in situ. From 1960 onwards, he developed a radical style of painting that played on both the economy of means employed and the relationship between the work and its exhibition space. In 1986, he created the in situ (site-specific) work Les Deux Plateaux (also known as Les colonnes de Buren), for the Cour d’Honneur of the Palais-Royal in Paris. That same year, he won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale. He is one of the most active and recognised artists on the international scene. In 2007, Buren was awarded the Præmium Imperiale for painting,” the series’ organisers relay.
History and nature, enhanced
The journey began at Cape Town’s iconic Mount Nelson, where Buren invites visitors to pause and experience Colourful Halt for Mount Nelson, work in situ, 2023. Installed at the heart of the hotel, surrounding its historic garden fountain, the work is on view from February 16, 2024 - February 15, 2025. This landmark feature, present since before the hotel’s founding, is reimagined through Buren’s signature use of colour and stripes.
In celebration of the hotel’s 125th anniversary, the contemporary art installation kicked off Mount Nelson’s cultural programming, followed by a major exhibition in partnership with the Norval Foundation. Buren’s three-metre pillars, alternating between mirrors and stripes, interact playfully with the surrounding nature, creating a dynamic display of light and movement. Framing the view of Table Mountain, his work seamlessly integrates with the stunning natural landscape, enhancing the hotel’s historic and natural beauty.
A monumental takeover
The second stop on MITICO’s global journey was to Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Buren unveiled his most monumental work of the series: Escala Colorida para Copacabana Palace, trabalho in situ, 2023. Inspired by the city’s vibrant energy, Buren transformed the hotel’s iconic façade with coloured vinyl records, creating a dynamic visual experience. As the day unfolded, visitors witnessed the interplay of light and shadow, with the work evolving in response to the changing atmosphere. On view from March 15 - September 30, 2024, the installation’s continuous shift from day to night immersed viewers in a spectacular display of colour.
The artwork also highlighted the hotel’s prime location, nestled between green hills and Rio’s renowned beach. Celebrating over 100 years as a cultural hub, Copacabana Palace’s role was enriched further by a new partnership with Art Rio, Brazil’s leading annual art fair, which will host a series of talks at the hotel throughout the year.
Accentuated landscapes
Set on a vast 1,300-hectare estate in the heart of Tuscany, Italy, Buren’s response to Castello di Casole took the form of three striking ‘portals’—a circle, square and triangle—each offering a unique frame through which to view the breathtaking landscape. Covered in bold black and white stripes, the ‘portals’ titled Sosta colorata per Castello di Casole, lavoro in situ, 2023, were placed throughout the gardens, creating new focal points within the expansive Tuscan panorama.
On view from April 5 - November 17, 2024, the works integrated natural beauty with geometric precision, echoing the Japanese tradition of Shakkei gardens, where openings of various shapes link near and distant landscapes. This approach evoked a sense of infinity, perfectly aligned with the property's medieval origins and its continued celebration of Tuscany’s agricultural traditions. Through these, Buren accentuated the profound connection between Castello di Casole and its stunning natural surroundings.
Colours in transit
Buren’s next stop was Villa San Michele, a 15th-century, former monastery in the Fiesole Hills overlooking Florence. For Sosta colorata per Villa San Michele, in situ, 2024, Buren had transformed the hotel bar’s glass roof—once a cloister—into a vibrant canvas. On display from April 3 - September 30, 2024, coloured reflections shifted throughout the day, offering guests a fresh perspective on the space. This installation joined permanent works at the hotel by Leandro Erlich, Window & Ladder (2021) and The Cloud (2016), part of MITICO’s inaugural series in 2022.
An immersion of colour
Next at Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Buren’s installation was curated by Galleria Continua and Hervé Mikaeloff and was on view from April 11 - September 30, 2024. Inspired by the hotel’s historic fountain (which predates the hotel itself), Buren created a new immersive circular structure of coloured windows and doors for Sosta colorata per Hotel Cipriani, lavoro in situ, 2023. The white stripes tied this work into the broader MITICO series. Buren invited visitors to leave the bustling city and discover a serene artistic space, adding another layer to Cipriani’s renowned hideaways, from the Casanova Gardens to the grand Olympic pool.
Translucent colour
Lastly, at La Residencia in Mallorca, Spain, Buren offered a new artistic intervention, which was on view from April 30 - November 10, 2024. Located in the artistic hub of Deia, home to 33 original works by Joan Miró and regular artist residencies with Galleria Continua, the hotel has long been a centre of cultural creativity. Buren’s Descanso colorido para La Residencia, trabajo in situ, 2024, took over the terrace with a colourful, immersive installation. The translucent pergola followed the terrace’s contours, casting evolving rainbow projections throughout the day. Under this canopy, guests were invited to rest and reflect on the stunning Mediterranean landscape in the heart of the UNESCO-protected Serra de Tramuntana.
“Daniel Buren's Haltes Colorées is a bold symbiosis of art, architecture and nature. Each MITICO work falls in perfect harmony with its corresponding, awakening the senses of travellers and creating a site-specific experience that transcends borders. Through these works, Buren encourages viewers to find a new perspective on the beauty of Belmond’s architecture and expansive natural surroundings,” mentioned the press statement by Belmond and Galleria Continua.
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