Above: a view of a Nightwatch room, and an oil painting by Ruth Owens on display at 21c
Oh, pardon my coastal ignorance! You have just announced the Nightwatch immersive Suites. It is described as a “sleep-in installation” and a ‘sensory experience where “The moving light uncovers the animated magic hidden within the forest, reminding us of the vibrant life that continues while we sleep.”
I imagine this to be a relaxing and even moving experience or honestly, quite the opposite, depending on my mood. Can you explain what this new addition is about?
What if a visitor is overwhelmed?
Chris Doyle’s Nightwatch is a truly unique and magical experience you can only access at 21c Cincinnati, Bentonville, and Lexington; there is nothing like it anywhere in the world, in a museum or hotel. By day, the space immerses guests in an enchanting, forest-inspired dreamscape. Custom-designed wall coverings, carpets, and curtains envelop the room in a whimsical world—part surrealist landscape, part cinematic fantasy, reminiscent of the magical wonder of Fantasia.
As night falls, the suite awakens. Projected light animates the walls, bringing the environment to life. In the living space, a searchlight casts shifting geometric forms, while the bedroom reveals ethereal birds in flight—an ever-evolving display of movement, shadow, and color that captures the mystery and energy of the forest after dark.
The feedback we’ve been receiving from guests who’ve stayed in Nightwatch has been overwhelmingly positive; people really enjoy watching the projections of light, and of birds in flight (you can ‘count the geese ‘to fall asleep in the bedroom). A simple on-off light switch controls the projections, so if you’d rather just take in the colorful imagery on the walls and carpeted floors, just turn it off!
Your exhibition Refuge: Needing, Seeking, Creating Shelter, now at 21C in Durham, addresses the environmental and refugee crises. That area has also been hit by a devastating storm last year. It’s a pretty hard hitting exhibition, but the timing is a bit haunting…
Yes, that exhibition did resonate especially poignantly in that location in the aftermath of the devastating storm that hit the Carolinas, but the climate crisis and migration are affecting communities worldwide these days, so the exhibition would be relevant anywhere it is installed. Natural and human-made disasters aren’t predictable, so we can’t, and wouldn’t, curate with those in mind. Our goal is to showcase the visions and voices of contemporary artists that need to be seen and heard, and which can inspire conversation and connection. I do believe that artists are often uncannily prescient, though, which is why we should all pay attention to their work if we want to understand our world, our past, present, and future.
While each museum hotel showcases renown living contemporary artists, It appears that each 21c location taps into the local artist network, with smaller satellite exhibitions on display…
21c is more than a hotel or restaurant; each one is a community cultural space, where we hope local artists will feel at home, and where they’ll find opportunities! Starting in Louisville, Deborah Berke and her team designed spaces on each guest room floor for showcasing works on loan from local and regional artists, allowing guests visiting from outside each city to experience the art can culture of the community. For this reason, we call the program “Elevate at 21c”—and also in reference to expanding the audience for and awareness of these artists’ work. This has been so successful that we are now installing Elevate exhibitions in other spaces, inside and outside, in small galleries, restaurant lounges, and on exterior walls, and more. This is all possible because of the deep engagement our Museum Managers have with their communities (each 21c has a dedicated Museum Manager), visiting artist’s studios, galleries, MFA exhibits, and more.
If a guest is interested in an artwork on display, we will connect them with the artist or their gallery; 21c doesn’t get involved in the commercial aspect of these transactions. The Elevate program has been a rewarding way to source new artworks for the permanent collection, too; about a dozen works have been accessioned through various Elevate initiatives. And Elevate artists have participated in a wide range of cultural events, making presentations and doing performances that are, like all 21c Museum programs, free and open to the public.
“People really enjoy watching the projections of light, and of birds in flight (you can ‘count the geese ‘to fall asleep in the bedroom)…”
