"Take Your Seat" Photography Exhibition

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Take Your Seat

01/06/2025

An Introspective Journey through the Capital

 

The “Take Your Seat” exhibition is spread across the hotel’s public areas and third-floor gallery. Using the iconic red director’s chair as the central motif, the collection ties together a visual narrative of Beijing’s landmarks, hidden treasures, and cultural icons. In each image, the chair quietly awaits, symbolizing the shared idea that everyone is the director of their own life.

 

An interactive experience invites visitors to “take a seat” within the scenes, beginning a visual journey of discovery. Guests are encouraged to search for the hidden chair in each photograph, exploring the resonance between humanity, nature, art, and city life. Visitors may also take commemorative photos using the evocative Beijing backdrops, blending real life with captured moments. This dialogue across time and space leads viewers to see Beijing from a new perspective and connect emotionally with a city rich in culture and history.

 

An Intimate Portrait of an Extraordinary City

 

In this profound cross-disciplinary collaboration, The Peninsula Beijing invited Randy and Spenser VanDerStarren to spend months photographing the city. From the golden eaves of imperial palaces to the avant-garde spirit of contemporary art districts, their work forms a visual poem across time and place. Each frame captures a deep conversation between the artists and the city’s soul, freezing moments into unrepeatable artistic treasures.

 

About the “Take Your Seat” Project

 

“Take Your Seat” uses the red director’s chair as a visual symbol to express themes of unity, responsibility, and shared humanity. Spanning 38 countries, photographers Randy and Spenser VanDerStarren use their lens to explore cityscapes and the stories of individuals who contribute to social harmony. The chair serves as both a literal and metaphorical device—reminding viewers that each person can “direct” their own life and inspire positive change.

 

Their immersive photo installations have been exhibited at embassies, tourism boards, and cultural institutions worldwide, and are collected by renowned art patrons and public spaces. Known for the interactive experience of “finding the chair” in every photograph, the project sparks both playful engagement and deep reflection on one’s relationship with the world. Its unique blend of humanism and artistic innovation has earned it international acclaim.

 

The "Take Your Seat" photography exhibition is open to the general public and hotel guests daily 24 hours at the 3F Art Gallery of The Peninsula Beijing