Not all great art is to be found in the galleries.
COYA, renowned for its creative cuisine and dynamic dining experiences will usher in the new season with celebrated London-based street artist, Marco Polo for a solo exhibition, ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ in COYA Dubai Members’ Club on Monday, 25 September and live mural painting in Pisco Lounge in COYA Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, 27 September.
“This cutting-edge display is the latest in a long line of independent exhibitions held at COYA. Art is part of COYA’s culture. As much as the food makes a statement about the venue so does the art. COYA is an alternative art space that supports artists around the world,” said Cedric Toussaint, Director of Operations, COYA Dubai.
“We’re delighted that Marco can make it to the UAE to introduce his work in person.”
Marco will first visit COYA Dubai, at Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah Beach, for a ‘meet and greet’ session on Monday, 25 September. The event is set to run from 7pm to 9pm in the Members’ Club. Two days later, he will move on to the UAE capital, calling into Al Maryah Island’s COYA Abu Dhabi to do a live mural painting in the Pisco Lounge before guests’ very eyes. This session will also take place from 7pm to 9pm, in the Pisco Lounge. Drinks and canapés from COYA’s award-winning menu will be served at both events.
Marco Polo commented: “I'm very excited and grateful to have this opportunity to bring my works to Dubai, it's always been a dream to showcase my art in the UAE. Dubai is a major force and quickly growing as one of the most influential and talked about places when it comes to street art/ urban art. Having worked with COYA Mayfair it will be a privilege to work with them again on this project.”
Marco Polo started ‘tagging’ walls in London five years ago and has since produced graffiti in Los Angeles, Hamburg, Barcelona and New York. A a huge fan of the Big Apple’s 1980s graffiti movement, noted for its use of bright colours, he is also influenced by pop art.
After some run-ins with the police, Marco started to show his work in galleries. When painting on canvas, he operates in the same way he did on the streets, producing the work as quickly as possible for a raw, spontaneous feel. He continues to use spray paint and stencils, but has added resins and oil paints into the mix for greater versatility.
‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ exhibition in COYA Dubai will run until middle of November and all the exhibited works are for sale.
COYA has hosted many important artists since opening its doors in UAE including award-winning celebrity street artist Skyler Grey, Lebanese artist, Suzi Fadel Nassif, Spanish artist, Esther Arias, Syrian artist, Osama Nassar, and Ethiopian Workneh Bezu Kassa and among others.
Venue : Members’ Club, COYA Dubai
Activity: ‘Meet and greet’ with British street artist Marco Polo
Dates: Monday, 25 September
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Location: Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 2, Dubai
Contact details: +971 4 316 9600, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Venue: Pisco Lounge, COYA Abu Dhabi
Activity: Live mural painting by British street artist Marco Polo
Dates: Wednesday, 27 September
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Location: The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi
Contact details: +971 2 306 7000, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About COYA
COYA’s flagship restaurant was launched in London on the 15th November, 2012. Two years later, in 2014, COYA London takes home the prestigious title ‘Best Restaurant of the Year’ at the London
Lifestyle Awards and goes international, bringing the same vibrant spirit of Latin America to Dubai. Famed for its bespoke décor, designed by the London-based design team Sagrada, COYA links vibrant, contemporary Peruvian cuisine with a cultural experience. Hosting a continuous flow of artistic entertainment in music and the arts all year round, COYA is renowned for its creative cuisine and dynamic dining experiences.
About COYA Dubai
Launched on 16 December 2014 at the Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah Beach, COYA Dubai is a sister property of the famous Zuma and La Petite Maison in DIFC. COYA Dubai serves contemporary Peruvian cuisine and spans more than 189 seats in the restaurant and 40 seats in the enclosed veranda, and is also home to colourful destination bar the Pisco Lounge, extensive wine showcase corridor and the stunning Members’ Club in bespoke furnishings. Internationally renowned as a one-stop party venue, COYA Dubai is the perfect place to dine, drink and dance. Seating 21 indoors and 25 in the enclosed veranda, the Pisco Lounge started the world’s very first Pisco Library with more than 15 different homemade Pisco infusions and is Dubai’s most visited destination to sample a Pisco Sour. With a cigar lounge in tow, the COYA members’ club is not only home to a roster of some of the finest live acts playing seven days a week, it is also the hosting venue for many of the art exhibitions under the COYA Collective. As part of COYA’s unique, multidimensional dining experience, the COYA Collective exists as a form of expression and acts as a link between cuisine and the arts.
Awards
COYA Dubai won three major awards in its first year of operations with the highly coveted
titles:
What’s On Awards
Best Newcomer of the Year 2015
Favourite The Americas Restaurant 2015
Restaurant of the Year 2016
ProChef Middle East Awards
Best Restaurant of the Year 2015
TimeOut Awards
Best Americas 2016
Restaurant of the year 2016
Best Americas 2017
BBC Good Food Middle East Awards
Chef of the year 2016
Leaders in Food and Beverage Awards
Bartender of the year 2016
Hendricks’ Cucumber Cup
Winner, 2016
Accolades
In April 2016, COYA Dubai continued gaining international acclaim when it participated in a Global Cook-off with South Korea’s most illustrious chefs in the cooking show Global Cook-off, produced by one of South Korea’s most renowned stations, JTBC, and won its Dubai segment and took home the bronze in the international competitions.
Opening hours
Lunch
Mon – Sun 12.30pm to 4pm
Dinner
Sat-Tue 7pm to 12midnight
Wed-Fri 7pm to 12.30am
Pisco Lounge
Sat-Tue 12.30pm to 1.15am
Wed-Fri 12.30pm to 2am
About COYA Abu Dhabi
Opening in March 2017, COYA Abu Dhabi is the second COYA in the UAE after Dubai and is a sister property of the famous Zuma and La Petite Maison outlets in the UAE. Spanning over 80 seats in the restaurant and 25 seats on the outdoor terrace, COYA Abu Dhabi serves contemporary Peruvian cuisine and is home to a colourful Pisco Lounge and a private 12 seat dining room with its own entrance, all adorned in bespoke furnishings.
COYA ABU DHABI
The Galleria
Al Maryah Island
Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971 (0)2 306 7000
Restaurant Lunch Opening Hours
Sun - Thu and Sat 12.30pm to 5.30pm
Fri 12.30pm to 4pm
Restaurant Dinner Opening Hours
Sun, Mon, Wed, Sat - 7pm to 12am
Tue, Thu, Fri - 7pm to 12.30am
Pisco Lounge Opening Hours
Sun - Sat 12.30pm- 1.15am
Source: Wallis PR
