Culture

Luxury Cruises Transform into Floating Art Galleries

Published

6 months ago

March 16, 2026

David Ogunjobi

Luxury cruises now feature Picasso, Warhol, and Fabergé, offering art workshops, auctions, and interactive cultural experiences at sea

The world of luxury cruising is undergoing a remarkable transformation, merging high-end travel with world-class art.

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Passengers now encounter works by iconic artists such as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Joan Miró, and Damien Hirst, while also participating in workshops that bring creativity to life at sea.

Luxury ships like Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Grandeur boast over 1,600 curated art pieces, including the first Fabergé egg permanently displayed at sea.

Similarly, Oceania Cruises features more than 2,000 original artworks, from Cuban masters like Wifredo Lam to contemporary icons, making these vessels floating galleries where each piece complements the ship’s sophisticated ambiance.

Cruises now offer passengers more than passive observation. Windstar Cruises hosts art-themed sailings, including live installations and painting workshops.

Park West Gallery collaborates with cruise lines to run auctions, giving travelers opportunities to acquire works by famous artists like Alexandre Renoir, often accompanied by entertainment and champagne.

Celebrity Cruises offers glassblowing sessions with Hollywood Hot Glass, letting guests craft personalized sculptures under expert guidance.

Art is woven throughout the ships’ interiors. Uniworld’s SS Beatrice features life-sized glass sculptures by Pino Signoretto, Murano chandeliers, and marble floors, while Regent Seven Seas Cruises displays a 12-meter hand-woven tapestry by Walter Goldfarb in its atrium. Every corner becomes an immersive experience in craftsmanship and design.

Luxury cruises are redefining the journey itself, turning ships into floating art museums. Passengers enjoy curated collections, workshops, auctions, and immersive installations, offering a blend of culture, sophistication, and creativity.

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By integrating art into travel, these cruises elevate the onboard experience and set a new standard for cultural enrichment at sea.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

1 week ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

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Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

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Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”