To support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Peninsula Tokyo hotel has partnered with visionary Chinese multimedia artist Chen Man to create pink-themed interactive installations. Photographs taken by Man will be covered with two big pink circles, and visitors will use traditional Chinese “Nao Nao” bamboo sticks to gently scrape away the dots to reveal the image behind.
The annual Peninsula in Pink campaign, which is now in its ninth year, is on until the end of October, and aims to help champion the fight against breast cancer by raising awareness and funds for local charities. Besides showcasing Man’s innovative artwork, the hotel lights up every evening with bright pink illuminations, and you can enjoy a Pink Afternoon Tea with sweet and savory delicacies such as chocolate mousse, pear shortcake and smoked salmon mille crêpes – all in pink. We especially enjoyed the house-made organic scones accompanied by The Peninsula original clotted cream and house-made jam, and the taramasalata with petit choux – savory with bright pops of crunch, pitched against choux’s subtly sweet kiss. There is also an option for a glass of sparkling rosé should you prefer.
Of her very personal collection featured in this year’s campaign, Chen Man says: “I wished to celebrate distinctive interpretations of beauty and power, while at the same time evoking dialogue about a subject that is often deemed taboo.” Her inspiration stems from the Beijing of her childhood, where she says emotions were not shared publicly yet feelings of sympathy and understanding were conveyed through subtle gestures such as “scratching a loved one’s back.”
Similarly, the guest’s interaction with this art installation is unspoken yet physical, and the artist hopes that the removal of the dots – which symbolize breasts as well as punctuation in sentences – will help to open up a dialogue about breast cancer.
So what lies behind these pink dots? Take a look…
For more information, visit www.peninsula.com/en/pink
