The slate floor framed by wooden columns and beams takes the visitor on a tour full of curiosities, learning and contemplation through the colonial-style hotel.
“We have gathered more than 80 works of art that are part of the Sanma Collection to compose a permanent exhibition that can be enjoyed by residents of Foz do Iguaçu, tourists, guests and students”, invites Isabel Salvatti, co-owner of the hotel. Visits can now be scheduled on Wednesdays and Fridays, from 16 pm.
Who catalogued the works and created the educational project for the exhibition “Sanma Hotel – 50 years – Collecting Memories” was the visual arts teacher, Maria Eduarda Pontes e Pontes. She went through the hotel's storage rooms, corridors, restaurants and bars, rediscovering the treasures and shedding light on the history of each artist. “We have nine artists represented here and the most varied styles of production”, explains Maria Eduarda.
There are paintings, tapestries, woodcuts, lithographs, ink drawings... In addition, two busts pay homage to important figures in the history of the hotel, which was created under the name San Martin in the 70s. San Martin was a general who played an important role in Argentina's independence.
Saint Salvatti
The other bust depicts Saint Salvatti, the hotel's director for decades and one of the pioneers of the Iguaçu hotel industry. Santo began working at a hotel in Rio Grande do Sul, performing various functions when he was only 17 years old. After moving to Foz do Iguaçu, in Paraná, he worked in the lumber industry and, years later, coordinated and participated in the partnership of one of the most representative ventures for the border: Hotel Salvatti.
In 1979 he formed a new company and acquired the Hotel San Martin. In 2020, he led the reconfiguration of the management and new concept of the current Sanma, months before he passed away due to COVID-19.
The initiative of a guided tour that highlights the Sanma Hotel's collection and shares this legacy with those interested is a way of paying tribute to Santo Salvatti. Over the years, he acquired the works that are part of the hotel's decoration. “My father ended up buying entire collections”, says his daughter, Isabel Salvatti.
Santo would have turned 81 in November 2022. In addition, the itinerary based on works of art is an educational and tourist product that is still unprecedented in Foz do Iguaçu. “We created something to surprise people who love art and appreciation”, praises Isabel.
the artists
Among the nine artists with works in the Sanma Collection, there are Brazilians and foreigners. Highlights include Fernando Calderari from Paraná (lithography), Antonio Augusto Antunes Neto from São Paulo (lithography), Aldemir Martins from Ceará (woodcut, lithography, acrylic on canvas and silkscreen), and Kennedy Bahia from Chile (wool tapestry and silkscreen), of whom the Sanma Hotel has the largest known collection in Brazil, with more than 55 examples of silkscreen prints.
Argentine artist María Cecília Wagner paid special attention to the mythology of the indigenous peoples of the Triple Frontier in the paintings that adorn some of the hotel's spaces. The paintings depict the Legend of the Falls and the Devil's Throat, as well as other representations of the culture of the indigenous people who inhabited the region and with whom the artist had contact during her life.
The works cover, in different ways, legends, the history of Latin countries, and aspects of Brazilian culture, with manifestations of colors, lines, and unique designs. For the person responsible for the educational project of the collection, Santo Salvatti was a man ahead of his time. “He acquired almost complete print runs from Aldemir Martins; among them, the artist's proofs, which are the original images of the final work for the production of a print run, that is, they are unique!”, highlights Maria Eduarda. Santo Salvatti also predicted the resumption of Kennedy Bahia's work in Brazil and abroad.
Relic
In the external gardens, the Sanma Hotel also holds another rarity that is related to the first meetings of the members of Itaipu Binacional, still in formation, and the presidents of Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras SA (Eletrobrás/Brazil) and Administración Nacional de Electricidad (Ande/Paraguay) in April 1974.
The information is engraved on a metal plate installed on a huge three-meter-high stone. “This collection is a true heritage for the city of Foz do Iguaçu”, points out the visual arts teacher who will receive the visitors.
SERVICE
GUIDED TOUR OF THE SANMA HOTEL ART COLLECTION
DAYS: WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
HOUR: 16H
SCHEDULING: +55 (45) 3521-8088 | https://sanmahotel.com.br
ADDRESS: Cataratas Avenue, 12280 – Km 21 – National Park, Foz do Iguaçu (PR)
@sanmahotel
(Source: Press Office)
