Belmond Butterflies

Striking art installations by award-winning Icelandic artist, Kristjana S Williams are on show at Belmond Copacabana Palace at Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the Olympics.
Inspired by cartography and nature, the most dramatic of the artist’s creations is a butterfly-themed theatrical light projection that shows butterflies gliding over the seven-story high hotel façade.
The display will run nightly at 7pm for ten minutes until August 14.
It can be enjoyed by the general public from the beach promenade in front of the hotel.
Each butterfly carries a different country’s flag on its wings, designed to represent the coming together of nations from around the globe in celebration of cultural diversity.
Belmond adopts the butterfly as a symbol of hope, strength found in fragile beauty, the promise of new life and a journey well-travelled.
Andrea Natal, General Manager, Belmond Copacabana Palace says they wanted to host a series of initiatives that engage with  guests, the local community and welcome travellers from around the world to Rio, at a time when the city is at its most vibrant.
“Belmond Copacabana Palace is an important visual landmark and one of the most photographed buildings in the city, so we wanted to do something special with the facade that would create a wonderful lasting impression of the destination,”she says.
To keep visitors guessing, there are a number of different butterfly and celebratory themed projections, all carrying the message ‘Rio Welcomes the World’.
Kristjana S Williams’ creations are handcrafted by interweaving layers of eighteenth century engravings,photographs, paintings and drawings with contemporary illustrations to create fantastical artworks which juxtapose traditional illustration with a bold modern aesthetic.
For more information, visit belmond.com/copacabana-palace- rio-de- janeiro.