LAS VEGAS (June 27, 2019) – Delano Las Vegas presents Are you really my friend?, a new installation by photographer Tanja Hollander. On view now through September 22, Hollander’s interactive project is the featured work within the Delano Art Series, a rotating exhibition platform.

The conversation begins in Delano’s elevator bank, where visitors are invited to be part of the installation by writing brief testimonials in response to the question, “What is a real friend?” As guests approach, they are offered the opportunity to write their answers on a Post-It® Note and stick the piece of paper directly on a vinyl wall for all to see. As a reminder that friends can be found in every aspect of life, Hollander’s installation includes answers collected from Delano and Mandalay Bay employees during an earlier iteration of her project. Additionally, landscape and portrait photos from Hollander are on view throughout Delano’s lobby, allowing guests to continue to reflect on the meaning of connection and building community.

In 2011, Hollander set out to differentiate daily life from the online virtual world by photographing all 626 of her Facebook friends. Since then, she has traveled the globe to discover ways in which friendship is defined. Her interactive works have engaged many communities, including students of all ages, museumgoers, art fair attendees, conference participants and more. Through her Post-It® Note activation Are you really my friend?, Hollander has composed a large, non-virtual, collection of interpretations of friendship.

“As I am reading the tens of thousands of Post-It Notes people have left for me across multiple demographic lines, I see some of the same ideas, even the same words over and over: cares for, is loyal, doesn’t judge,” said Hollander. “Sociologists have shown that across demographics like liberal and conservative, these simple values are part of our shared moral constructs. I believe people have been so passionate about writing and reading these small testimonials because they remind us of the best in us, and that the best in us is what we share, despite our differences.”

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Join the conversation on social media by using the hashtags #MGMArtCulture, #areyoureallymyfriend and following @MGMArtCulture.

About Tanja Hollander

Tanja Hollander was born in 1972 in St. Louis, Missouri; she resides in Auburn, Maine. She received a B.A. in photography, film and feminist studies from Hampshire College in 1994. Sections of Are you really my friend? have been exhibited at the Portland Museum of Art, Maine; the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden, Germany. The project was shown in its entirety at MASS MoCA, North Adams, Massachusetts, in 2017.

About Delano Las Vegas

Delano Las Vegas offers an all-suite, smoke-free luxury hotel experience located steps from Mandalay Bay, blending signature elements of Delano South Beach with the distinct energy only found on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel features dynamic social spaces such as Franklin, an eclectic lounge; 3940 Coffee + Tea; and Della’s Kitchen, where “historic farmhouse meets urban kitchen.” BATHHOUSE Spa infuses the soothing elements of locally sourced ingredients, drawing inspiration from leading hospitality company sbe’s collection of hotels around the world as well as Delano Las Vegas’ desert locale. Delano Las Vegas is a luxury hotel tower located at Mandalay Bay, which is owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). Delano is a licensed trademark of sbe.  For more information and reservations, visit delanolasvegas.com or call toll free at (877) 632-5400 or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

About MGM Resorts Art & Culture

MGM Resorts Art & Culture focuses on commissioning, collecting, supporting and presenting contemporary art in and around MGM Resorts’ destinations globally. Currently the MGM Resorts Art Collection includes more than 800 pieces by over 200 artists.

MGM Resorts Art & Culture was established in 2016 to encompass all of MGM Resorts’ collections and varied art-related initiatives and partnerships to develop a comprehensive, multifaceted arts program. Reflecting the company’s core values of inclusivity and diversity, MGM Resorts Art & Culture aims to create special, accessible experiences for all audiences. Each project thoughtfully considers the artist, the environment, and the overall experience, recognizing the power of art to evoke emotion, engage the senses, and spark conversation. Art is prevalent throughout MGM Resorts distinctive world-class brands including Bellagio, ARIA, Vdara, MGM Grand, and Delano Las Vegas; as well as MGM National Harbor outside of Washington, D.C., MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, and internationally at MGM Macau and MGM Cotai.

Examples include works by Alice Aycock (National Harbor, Maryland), Jenny Holzer (ARIA, Las Vegas), Antony Gormley (ARIA, Las Vegas), Maya Lin (ARIA, Las Vegas), Robert Rauschenberg (Bellagio, Las Vegas), Nancy Rubins (Vdara, Las Vegas), James Turrell (ARIA, Las Vegas), among many others.

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