Karl Lagerfeld and Joël Robuchon | Teaming up in Monte-Carlo

Karl Lagerfeld, Ulysses’ Journey around the Mediterranean Sea, Fresques. Courtesy of Hotel Métropole Monte-Carlo.

To celebrate the opening of a third restaurant at Hotel Métropole Monte-Carlo, Karl Lagerfeld has been invited to redesign its outside premises as well as the new restaurant. This is one of the most exciting artistic and architectural collaborations with a hotel.

This incredible duo, each at the top of their trade, are coming together to reflect the hotel’s philosophy: a true symbol of luxury and elegance in the 21st Century.

Ulysses’ Journey around the Mediterranean Sea is ’s modern photographic interpretation of Ulysses’ adventures as chronicled by Homer in his epic poems the Iliad and .

The work is a site-specific installation for the swimming pool and restaurant areas of the Hotel, comparable to a museum installation, and consists of etched, backlit glass panels depicting Lagerfeld’s images.

The starting point of the panels is Lagerfeld’s raw photographs: shot on black-and-white film, processed by hand as delicate paper prints without retouching, and digitally scanned in preparation for etching.

Each section of the installation consists of two panels ‘sandwiched’ together, illuminated by an advanced L.E.D. lighting system. The panels are constructed of Optiwhite glass that is photographically engraved and finished with a fine airbrush coating. The lighting is dimmable, which creates effects of movement in Lagerfeld’s photographs.

Ulysses’ Journey around the Mediterranean Sea is a technically intricate expansion of the photographic medium, in which Lagerfeld channels the charm and adventure of Homer’s tales and recasts them as a sleek, 21st century installation that speaks on its own terms.