GRAND HOTEL - VANCOUVER ART GALLERY

Grand Hotel, installation shot, Vancouver Art Gallery.

On now at the Vancouver Art Gallery is Grand Hotel, an exhibition dedicated to the culture behind our second-most ubiquitous symbol of travel. Groundbreaking design is celebrated in the exhibition, as are hotels old and new which challenge our idea of what a hotel looks like, and how it should behave.

"Everyone has a hotel story," curator Bruce Grenville begins in his introduction to Grand Hotel's microsite -- and isn't that true? The hotel has certainly featured large in our cultural imagination since the 20th century. Grand Hotel's online presence entertains and captivates with a romp through the retro-romance of the era of Mad Men, a detailed look at the needs that influenced the Michelberger's cool-kid design, and a bright celebration of post-war kitsch, among other curios.

The exhibition itself is vast, loud, and impressive, geared towards an audience that takes as much delight in bombastic, design-forward installations as it does in curious cultural content. Catch it anytime this summer before it closes September 15th.

Grand Hotel, installation shot, Vancouver Art Gallery