Would you like Art with That? The Commodification of Art in Hotels and Restaurants

Eavan Murphy
Trinity College Dublin
Department of History of Art and Architecture
2015
BA

Subject: Painting
Country: Ireland, Britain and America
Period: 20th and 21st Century

10,000 words

With no literature on the nature of art in the hospitality industry, this dissertation aims to highlight this unexplored area. Given that it is such a popular phenomenon today, there is a need to initiate research as to why art is being integrated in these spaces. This study aims to highlight the role art has in these environments. In particular, the reasoning behind the investment and how it creates a new type of space will be assessed. This work examines the role art has for the consumer and how it is commodified to enhance the experience of the consumer and to cater for a society hungry for high-culture and luxury. An attempt will also be made to see why hotel and restaurant owners are investing in art and what benefits it brings to their brand and business. The channel the fusion of these industries has opened up for artists has also been addressed.

Irish Georgian Society

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Would you like Art with That? The Commodification of Art in Hotels and Restaurants