Art Ovation Hotel debuts new exhibits by artists from around the world

The lobby of the Art Ovation Hotel was packed for the opening reception of its latest art exhibits.

This quarter’s new installation aims to showcase diversity in the arts by displaying work of artists from Venezuela, Germany, and one of the most comprehensive private collections of contemporary Cuban art in the nation.

The first of the three new exhibits in the hotel lobby features a selection of works from the collection of Cuban-born Sarasota resident Jorge Reynardus. “Cuban Art of the 1980s: The Reynardus Collection” focuses on the artwork of Cuban artists who left the country after 1989 but left their mark with their aesthetic practice.

“Portals – From Some Place Else,” “Lost Boys,” “Lolitas” and “Essence” make up the second exhibit, which is all work created by German photographers — and founding members of White Rabbit Collective — Ulrich Mannchen and Jan C. Schlegel. Their work aims to expand the worldview of its viewers by exposing them to visually rich and unique rural and urban subcultures.

The last exhibit, “Alternative Realities,” features geometric optical sculptures made of colored acrylic glass by Venezuelan artist Jose Margulis. These pieces depict the artist’s goal to, in his words, “provoke emotions that induce a state of reflection through contemplation.”

Guests at the reception met with the artists who curated the exhibits, sipped champagne, munched on hors d'oeuvres, watched a Cuban cigar rolling demonstration and enjoyed performances by The Sarasota Ballet and Cuban musicians. Those brave enough even created their own small pieces of art.

— Niki Kottmann