Dinner and a show has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to a new restaurant in Las Vegas, where diners are kept entertained not by performers, but by an array of priceless street art decorating every surface around them.
The newly-opened Greene St. Kitchen at the Palms lucky col casino Resort in Sin City plays host to an extensive collection of art by some of the world’s best-known graffiti and street artists, including the city’s first ever permanent work by elusive street art icon Banksy.
With an estimated value of more than $1 million, the piece – Smiley Coppers Panel I – sits at the heart of the eatery, which is filled to the brim with dynamic and colorful works of street art, from graffiti that covers the floors to a large 3-D mural that spans across one wall.
Pride of place: Las Vegas’ first permanent artwork by Banksy can now be found at the Palms Casino Resort, inside the hotel’s newly-opened restaurant Greene St. Kitchen
Pricey piece: Smiley Coppers Panel I (2002), which sits behind the DJ booth in the street art-filled restaurant, is estimated to be worth more than $1 million
Something for everyone: The eatery is filled with work by some of the world’s most renowned graffiti and street artists, and even the floors are covered in colorful designs
The art collection inside the restaurant was curated by the hotel’s creative director Tal Cooperman, who noted of the varied array of art: ‘You can spend all day in there and think you catch everything and the next day you find something new.’
Take a seat: Tal Cooperman, the hotel’s creative director, was responsible for curating the extensive art collection
However the Banksy, which was first created in 2002 and now sits behind the restaurant’s DJ booth, is undeniably the highlight.
It joins an increasingly-impressive list of big-ticket artworks that are now housed in the newly-renovated hotel, including a rather mammoth piece by British artist Damien Hirst – a 13-foot tiger shark that is separated into three segments, all of which sit suspended above a bar in the hotel’s lobby.
Mr Hirst also designed a suite inside the hotel, which is now believed to be the most expensive in the world, costing a staggering $200,000 for just two nights.
The space if filled with six of the artist’s original works, including Winner/Loser (2018) – two bull sharks suspended in formaldehyde – and a medicine cabinet that is aptly-named Vegas (2018).
He also designed bespoke furniture for the suite, which is part of an ongoing $690 million renovation ‘re-imagination’ of the Palms, much of which seems to center around building a rather sensational art collection.
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Bright: ‘You can spend all day in there and think you catch everything and the next day you find something new,’ Mr Cooperman said of the art in the space
Out-there: One wall features an incredible 3-D mural that appears to stick out as you walk by
Secret: To enter the restaurant, guests have to go through a 80s-style speakeasy arcade, and then open up a secret door hidden behind a vintage Coca-Cola vending machine
In addition to Damien Hirst’s sizable contributions, and the street art that fills Greene St. Kitchen, multiple works by other art legends, including Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Takashi Murakami, can also be found inside the hotel’s expansive walls.
The Palms would not comment on the cost, or the value, of its entire art collection, nor would it share the price of the new Banksy that now sits in its new restaurant, however art expert Todd Kramer told DailyMail.com that the piece ‘would fetch well over a million dollars’.
‘Banksy is one of the most difficult markets to evaluate,’ he explained.
‘Given that Banksy is one of a handful of contemporary artists that does not retain a primary gallery to distribute his works and dictate market value it is extremely hard for collectors, and art advisors alike, to have clarity on pricing.
‘With works almost never appearing at auction and most top works transacting privately it is another added layer in the rather opaque Banksy market. Having personally collected and advised clients on the works of Banksy for over 10 years I would say a work of this caliber would fetch well over seven figures.’
The painting’s unveiling at the hotel comes just months after the artist achieved global renown yet again when he arranged to have a piece of his shredded at an auction, just after it had been purchased for a record-breaking $1.4 million.
Something special: Damien Hirst designed an entire suite for the hotel, an incredible space that costs a staggering $200,000 for just two nights
An art lover’s dream: The space is filled with six original works by the artist, who also helped to design much of the furniture in the suite
Just as the hammer dropped on the auction of Girl with Red Balloon, which is arguably one of Banksy’s best-known works, the piece began moving through an electric shredder that had been secreted away inside its frame.
Posting a video of the jaw-dropping moment on Instagram, Banksy wrote: ‘Going, going, gone…’
The 2006 piece was shown dangling in pieces from the bottom of the frame, with art experts later suggesting that the stunt had actually only served to increase its value – although, as Mr Kramer pointed out, putting a price on any Banksy works is notoriously tricky.
The mystery surrounding the Palms’ art collection, and the Banksy piece in particular, certainly suits the secret underground theme of the work’s new home, which has been designed as a funky, modern take on the classic speakeasy.
Guests are invited to enter the graffiti-filled space through an 80s-style video arcade, which is home to the restaurant’s hidden entrance: a door secreted away behind an old Coca-Cola vending machine.
Once inside, diners are led through a maze of murals and artworks inspired by some of the world’s graffiti greats, including Seen, P-Nut, Blaze, and Stay High 149.
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