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In early March, the 8.6-meter-tall Merlion statue, the symbol of Singapore and a favorite tourist landmark, was hidden inside a giant maroon-colored box. The newly added casing, though sleek and simple, clearly stood out as a makeshift entity compared to the meticulously designed and executed Marina Bay waterfront. White block-letter signage on one of its exterior walls, which read "Merlion Hotel," revealed that the box- standing on a framework of scaffolding- was an installation by the Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi, created as part of a project of the same name and commissioned for the 2011 Singapore Biennale.
On the morning after the installation's grand opening, which off the Biennale, Nishi was standing at the top of the stairs to the hotel's entrance, greeting visitors who were being allowed into the in groups often or so at a time. The 51-year-old artist was poised like a seasoned rock star with his bleach-blonde hair and tinted sunglasses, and later posed gamely for pictures with a trio of elder female in front of the hotel. Once inside the installation, visitors walked through a small reception area, before encountering the looming Merlion in the middle of a luxurious setting, fully furnished with a study, vanity tables, a bathroom and shower, and plenty of amenities. The suite had windows offering a clear view of the waterfront and came with a butler.
Merlion HoteFs inaugural guest was the artist himself. When I him how it felt to spend the night with the 70-ton cement mythical beast, Nishi lamented over what could have been: "I had a shoot with two different television crews from Japan until the early morning, so I don't remember having a relaxing stay. It meant that the one thing I was looking forward to the most, taking a long bath while enjoying the view of the waterfront, had to be cut down to just a shower." After Nishi, the general public was invited to book one-night stays- for die fairly reasonable price of SGD 150 (USD 122) for two people- which included a complimentary breakfast at the nearby Fullerton Hotel. Reservations for Merlion Hotel, which were available to die public for one mondi from early April until May, sold out within a day.
Merlion...