Momento, 2020, by FAHR 021.3, at Patina Maldives
Eleven global art patrons from two generations, chaired by one of London’s greatest art doyennes, steered by LUX, and anchored in the most groundbreaking luxury resort in the world. The Patina Art Residency brings together regenerative tourism, sustainability and support for contemporary art, like nothing else
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Regenerative tourism is a vision of the future: travelling to the world’s most beautiful places while not just making an impact, but making a positive difference. The Fari Islands in the Maldives, an archipelago of four pristine islands, were developed with sustainability and regeneration front of mind; at Patina Maldives, Fari Islands, there is a coral regeneration project, an education programme with respected Ocean Elder Jean-Michel Cousteau and a pervasive awareness of the need not to do harm.
Coral Alchemy (Acropora Grove), 2023, by Shezad Dawood, at Manar Abu Dhabi
Villas all have solar panels and were made with renewable materials from the area. The island filters its own water, and there are no single-use plastics: even the construction workers were not allowed them during the resort’s construction (it opened in 2021).
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As well as world-leading sustainability credentials, Patina Maldives is also a haven of thoughtfully curated art, with works by James Turrell, Jose Dávila, Hiroko Takeda and others in interplay with the sophisticated architecture. Meanwhile, at Patina Osaka, recently opened, there is a reflective collaboration with celebrated Osaka graphic artist Verdy.
Artist Shezad Dawood, winner of the inaugural Patina Art Residency
In sustainability and the regenerative economy, action is predicated on awareness, and Patina, in collaboration with LUX, has just launched its first art residency, rooted firmly in ocean conservation. This is a residency with a difference.
At its core is a jury of art patrons, both established and next generation, personally invited by LUX Editor-in-Chief Darius Sanai. At their head is Maria Sukkar, major patron, LUX Senior Contributing Editor and Co-Chair of the TATE Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee.
The jury chose from submissions by artists from all over the world, from India to Brazil. The theme? “Fluid Worlds”, with artists asked to demonstrate how their existing body of work shows a relationship with the planet and oceans, which, in a healthy state, are essential for our survival.
Ghost Reef I, 2025, by Shezad Dawood
After a long and fascinating deliberation process, a winner emerged: Shezad Dawood, an artist with a rich history of narrative about and support for the oceans: he appeared on the cover of LUX magazine in 2022 when he created a digital installation for Frieze London on oceans and the future.
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Dawood will travel to Patina Maldives, staying for up to one month as its first resident artist, creating a resonating work that will be showcased in the property. Meanwhile, the art and hospitality world’s most compelling residency will only grow, as will awareness of the need to protect our oceans.
