Celebrated at Photo London 2024, three new photography books offer a quirky, behind-the-scenes insight into three luxurious Belmond hotels and escapes – the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Caruso Hotel on Italy’s Amalfi coast, and Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town. In line with the LVMH-owned hospitality group’s sponsorship of the photography fair (16-19 May), images from the latest books in Belmond's As Seen By series take over the Portico Rooms at Somerset House, the venue’s second-largest gallery space.
The exhibition is an exciting display of work by photographers Coco Capitán, Letizia Le Fur and Rosie Marks, captured during their respective experiences at a Belmond destination. The images reflect their individual photographic approaches, but also their personal fascination with travel and the properties they have documented.
See a new side to three Belmond hotels and escapes
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express by Coco Capitán
‘You stare through the train window, and that place where you are is both the same and not the same to the one you were a minute ago,’ wrote the London-based Spanish photographer Coco Capitán of one of her many gazing-out-the-window sessions during her time at the Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Capitán’s photography is renowned for its spontaneity and precision, capturing beautiful, fleeting moments that would have otherwise vanished into the ether.
‘The power of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is undeniable. It is shrouded in mystery and glamour, very much like Agatha Christie’s novel [Murder on the Orient Express]. I aimed to portray a contemporary and updated vision while staying true to its lavish essence. Coming from a non-upper-class background, I sought to bring a down-to-earth experience to my images. The goal was to normalise the journey without neglecting the luxury of the Belmond experience. Having familiar faces around helped me achieve that sense of naturalness,’ Capitán tells Wallpaper*.
‘I have always loved travelling by train. There’s something about the old-world charm of analogue transport methods that appeals to me more than airports or planes, which always seem too crowded. What’s more inspiring than sitting on a train and gazing out the window? Time stands still, and you get transported to another world.
What I loved most about the experience was the sense of being at home on the move. Riding on a luxury train is such a unique experience because it feels like being in a five-star hotel on wheels. The bar was my favourite spot, with its unique moody atmosphere. I would sip on an espresso martini and play a table game to get myself pumped up for the night ahead.’
Caruso Amalfi Coast by Letizia Le Fur
Letizia Le Fur describes Belmond Caruso as a ‘place where even the stones seem to whisper secrets to the ear of the sun’. The French photographer, who graduated from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in France in 1998 and first trained as a painter, has a distinctive visual style that goes beyond what meets the eye. Her visceral photography shows a whole new side to this property on the Amalfi Coast: one that feels otherworldly and enchanting.
During her time at Caruso, Le Fur sought to capture the timeless essence of the Amalfi Coast. ‘I wanted each image to feel like a small window open to a world full of mysteries,’ she says.
'The air is filled with romance, and the property exudes the most vibrant colours. Caruso Amalfi Coast has a palpable history that hangs in the air like an invitation to dance with the past – it’s as if every street corner has its own story to tell. I found myself immersed in this lively theatre of the Mediterranean.’
Mount Nelson Hotel Cape Town by Rosie Marks
British photographer Rosie Marks brought her inquisitive eye to Belmond’s Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. In her series of photographs, she takes on the role of an observer, capturing the day-to-day moments of the hotel and its staff: a black cat caught in the act of stealing a cookie from a laid tea table, the newspaper break of one of the gardeners, the first person to cause a splash in the pool on a sunny day: Marks’ photography is sincere, energetic and evocative.
‘I wanted to document the hotel as it really is – closer to what I experienced while staying there than the perfected pictures one might see online,’ says Marks.
‘I was inspired while observing the unique rhythms and rituals of the hotel – how the light moves throughout the day, how the landscape changes depending on the clouds, the house cat and ducks wandering freely – as well as the guests, some of whom have been coming back for decades and have a daily routine, moving between areas of the hotel in a similar way to the ducks.’
Read more about Belmond’s As Seen By photobooks by Coco Capitán, Rosie Marks and Letizia Le Fur at Belmond.com. The series is published by RVB Books and available from rvb-books.com
