Art at Plein: Hotel Europe
This summer, Harald Vlugt’s artwork Hotel Europe (1997) is on view at Plein.
Four large tables together form a giant map of Europe. Up close, you see that the map consists of hundreds of envelopes. Next to it stands a special table that functions as a global mailbox. At the kiosk, you can buy a postcard and a Fenix stamp. Take a seat, write a summer greeting and send it out into the world.
About Hotel Europe
In 1997, Harald Vlugt (The Netherlands, 1957) sent 715 letters from his studio to cities across Europe, addressed simply to: H. Vlugt, Hotel Europe.
It was a vast logistical operation. The envelopes travelled more than one million kilometres in total and passed unnoticed through the hands of around 25,000 postal workers. Many were returned marked “Undeliverable, address unknown”. Together, these returned envelopes form a green map of Europe. But there are also grey areas: envelopes that never came back and that Vlugt is still waiting for today.
Hotel Europe (1997) is about travelling without moving and about the stories that emerge along the way. It is a travelogue without a traveller. Everyone can discover their own meaning in the map.
Send a postcard
During the summer holidays, Fenix presents Hotel Europe on Plein as an interactive artwork.
Alongside the four tables that make up the artwork stands a special table that functions as a global mailbox. Vlugt sent his letters to countries across Europe. This global mailbox contains 197 compartments, one for every country in the world.
At the kiosk, you can buy a postcard and a Fenix stamp. Take a seat, write a summer greeting and send it out into the world.
A helpful message from a recipient: 'As this envelope has a map of Mull on it with Fionnphort marked in red, I'd try from there! On the other hand, 231 is Sue McLean's caravan. Puzzle! Ask Sue! <3 Anna Maria'