BEIJING, May 8 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Today it was announced that Jerome Sans, Cultural Curator for Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts, has been appointed Director of Ullens Center of Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing. UCCA, located in Beijing's Dashanzi Art District, is China's largest private contemporary art institution and has been open to the public since November 2007.
Jerome Sans was appointed Cultural Curator for Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts in July 2006. In this role, Sans is responsible for curating the guest experience by selecting cultural innovators and forging partnerships with cultural institutions around the world for Le Meridien. Each of his endeavors is designed to bring alive the brand's positioning of CHIC, CULTURED, DISCOVERY in a credible, relevant, engaging, and artistic way for the creative and curious people.
Last year, Sans played a vital role in introducing LM100(TM) program through which Le Meridien initiatives are created and executed. LM100 is a group of international creators of mixed generations and interdisciplinary artistic genres, chosen from the fields of art, architecture, cuisine, design and fashion. Through their creativity, LM100 members develop original and interactive programs for Le Meridien hotels worldwide that transform the guest experience. Members of LM100 include three-star Michelin chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, artists Sam Samore and Hisham Bharoocha, President and Chairman of illycaffe Andrea Illy, photographer Ralph Gibson and Eddie Roschi and Fabrice Penot from the innovative perfume house Le Labo.
"Le Meridien is excited about Jerome's new appointment as Director of China's largest private Contemporary Art Institution, said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, Le Meridien. This appointment not only solidifies Jerome's international status in the world of contemporary art, it gives Le Meridien a greater access to emerging artists around the globe, and the ability to grow LM100 family further, thus keeping dialogues, discoveries and creations flowing."
Jerome Sans has achieved a devout international following as an art curator, critic, author, musician, and arts provocateur. He is the co-founder of Paris' acclaimed Palais de Tokyo, site for Contemporary Art Creation, and is a former Director of Programme at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, England. For Sans, the Director position at UCCA reinforces his unique status in the world of contemporary art. UCCA shows established and emerging artists, and implements a demanding programme of education and research. Sans' appointment reinforces the founders' determination to make UCCA a point of reference for contemporary art in China and worldwide.
China is a great development market for Le Meridien, with Le Meridien Shimei Bay under construction and the recent signing of Le Meridien Xiamen. Also, Le Meridien will open three new properties in Thailand this summer in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
About Le Meridien
Le Meridien brand, currently represented by 113 properties in 50 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in November 2005. With close to 80 percent of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Meridien provides a strong international complement to Starwood's primarily North American holdings. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Meridien hotels and resorts within the next five years, concentrating in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, including destinations such as India, Thailand and China. For more information, please visit http://www.lemeridien.com . For more information on Starwood Hotels and Resorts, please visit http://www.spg.com .
