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The London Police’s clean lines and smiley, circle-headed “Lads” appear uncomplicated—but
the overall impact of their clean forms supplies exactly what one looks for in a hotel
stay: a creative (though not mindless), fun space with a sense that good things have
happened there and will continue to happen.
When you consider that Chaz (the Police member who painted Room 305) and his mates have been kind enough to endow urban surfaces all over the world with these benevolent creatures, you begin to hope that he, with his simple mission “to travel and plant seeds,” will embark on a cultivation project in your own neighborhood soon. In the meantime, they plant around their home-base of Amsterdam in addition to London, Berlin, Barcelona and beyond.
According to Chaz, however, clean simplicity takes a lot of work in a hotel context. When he arrived, he knew that he needed to begin with a dramatic change: a solid whitewash over the “yellowy-browny-greenyness” that made the room seem “inward-facing, with not much light.” The trick worked. But Chaz’s singular addition was what he calls “an alternative window”: a mixture of colors, texts and drawings on the wall facing the bed. Like a view to a garden or a park, the scenery changes over time; “I come back and add little extras to keep it fresh,” he says. “Hopefully people who enjoy the art can come back again to watch the project grow.”
Up close, the “window’s” etchings can fill up an afternoon with reading; it’s a library of Chaz’ mind blooms and travels. In lieu of pillow chocolates, guests will find smart little treats like “Deep blue wookie eyes,” “Busier than Condaleeza Rice,” The hills are killing my calves,” and the succinct, “Shave it Spears.” Continuing the tour yields additional discoveries, such as the backwards-written log of Chaz’ visits, placed conveniently next to the mirror, and a closet full of “billions of faces” by the artist’s friend Galo, who created an entire population where you might hang your clothes
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