Vincci Soho 4* will be transformed from 8 to 11 June, during the interior design festival, for some very special guests. Coming direct from the pages of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the ‘Myrmidons’, ants turned into men at the capricious whim of the gods, will cover the façade of the property after an unforgettable night inside… There’ll be a total of 18 ants made from fibre-glass by the brand Coolesguay.
The Roman poet Ovid, in his book Metamorphoses, tells that when the population of the Greek island of Aegina was wiped out by a plague, the King Aeacus prayed to Jupiter (Zeus to the Greeks) to repopulate the island. The king of the gods took pity on him and turned a colony of ants into people, who received the name ‘Myrmidons’, from the Greek word for ant, myrmex. Considered to be able warriors, very hard-working and loyal to their leaders, the Myrmidons formed large human chains to move rocks, to be able to cultivate the stony, dry island. That night they took a deserved rest, to enjoy all the attractions Madrid and Vincci Soho have to offer, before turning back into the ants, to resume their return home to their usual tasks, with the feeling of having enjoyed an unforgettable experience.
The exhibition organised by Vincci Soho (Calle del Prado 18, Madrid) is inspired by Ovid’s tale, with the hotel taking part for another year in DeccorAcción, the interior design festival which takes place in Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras from 8 to 11 June.
For this edition, the facade of the property will be covered with ‘Myrmidons’, ants who come out of the hotel to move across the outside wall having enjoyed one of the best nights of their lives, leading the passers-by to wonder about what happened inside. Still wearing ties, some untied, others twisted, which are all that’s left of their party clothes, some of the ants have gone off course and become separated from their companions. A metaphor for what happens in every room of the Vincci Hoteles chain, each being full of unique experiences.
A lover of design, art and architecture, Elena Pinedo is the author of the work on the outside of Vincci Soho. She’s the founder of the brand Coolesguay, which was born as a personal project, with the aim of dedicating herself body and soul to interior design, fusing fashion, art and architecture. “It allows me to express myself in each project, [revealing] my identity in an immediate, accessible manner”, says Pineda. “Spaces are my blank canvases, to create and play at transforming them, making them visible and giving them the life I choose. I love to work in a creative environment and I’m always trying to find new challenges”, says the CEO of Coolesguay.
And for this current project she’s created a total of 18 ants, each around 60cm long, made of fibre-glass with metal legs and antennae, and covered with a hard, smooth coating of black paint to provide greater resistance. Different elements with the aim of eliciting a reaction from the spectator, helping them to explore and dream, and achieving a playful, provocative effect.
And all on the outside of an hotel located in Madrid’s ‘Art Triangle’, with a particular connection to the art world, and which has always backed promising talent, just as the entire hotel chain does.