2009-11-24 21:25:06 -

Morgans Hotel Group (NASDAQ:MHGC), the company that introduced the world to the boutique hotel, announces PDA- Peace Dance Art - a series of nomadic dance interventions to celebrate the properties as a stage at Delano : , Shore Club : and Mondrian : during Art Basel Miami Beach, December 2-6. As an innovative lifestyle brand, MHG is teaming up with Interview magazine and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to collaborate with international curator Natalie Kovacs to create an interactive performative public art project. PDA is a peace inspired programming agenda that celebrates contemporary dance, art, and performance. "PDA- Peace Dance Art and Art Basel Miami Beach both embody the daring, style and

innovative spirit for which Delano, Shore Club and Mondrian are known," said Morgans Hotel Group Vice President of Entertainment, Ben Pundole. "The Art Basel experience we have created for our guests through this initiative and in the rest of our programming this year is unparalleled."

“PDA is an opportunity to give back to the community and raise awareness surrounding world peace,” said Walt Freese, CEO (Chief Euphoria Officer) of Ben & Jerry’s. In creating a “motion in the ocean” on Saturday December 5th, the water between Shore Club and Delano will host an improvisational performance and iconic photo opportunity showcasing the need for global peace and ecological preservation. During the week Shore Club, Delano and Mondrian will host PDA – Dance Loves Art vignettes at sunset where there will be live dance performances poolside at each property. In addition to the activities in the ocean, official media sponsor, Interview Magazine will be editing their February issue poolside at Mondrian, while Ben & Jerry’s will be providing “Imagine Whirled Peace Toast” daily.

The interactive art performance will include over 3000 members of the art world, dancers and locals alike, in a choreographed group dance sequence, mimicking the movement of the ocean. This public performance art project and conceptual human sculpture will culminate in a peace symbol, a symbol of unity, community and underlining with our respect to peace and ecology. International curator Natalie Kovacs is setting out to create innovative, unforgettable experiences offering guests a sensation, elevation and revelation designed to encourage ARTicipation.

“In the past seven years of Art Basel Miami Beach we have yet to experience the ocean used as a canvas,” says Natalie Kovacs. “This piece is about ecology, unity and community.” Photographers will cover PDA project on both the ground and in the air. Immediately following the iconic wave guests will enjoy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, while Ben & Jerry’s CEO Walt Freese will join Morgans Hotel Group’s Ben Pundole for a question and answer session open to guests and media.

Ben & Jerry’s has creatively taken efforts to promote the importance of community and world peace since its inception in 1978. Their support of “PDA” acts as a perfect pairing that culminates the event’s strong cultural initiatives with Ben & Jerry’s efforts to raise awareness for Peace One Day, a non-profit organization that promotes World Peace.
“Peace is an effort WORTHY of being creative,” said the ice cream company’s Chief Euphoria Officer, Walt Freese. “For more than thirty years Ben & Jerry’s has pursued global peace in many forms: working with 1% for Peace, selling Peace Pops, creating the flavor Imagine Whirled Peace with the John Lennon Estate, supporting the global Peace Day on September 21 st each year, and most recently supporting a school curriculum for teaching non-violence and the celebration of PeaceOneDay.org’s tenth anniversary. Ben & Jerry’s aspires to connect the spheres of business and community by aiding in collective projects such as PDA. “In the quest to obtain peace, which is possible in our lifetimes, conducting a live art performance at Art Basel is the cherry on top of our sundae,” added Freese.

About Morgans Hotel Group:


Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC) operates and owns, or has an ownership interest in, Morgans, Royalton and Hudson in New York, Delano and Shore Club in South Beach, Mondrian in Los Angeles, Scottsdale and South Beach, Clift in San Francisco, Ames in Boston, and Sanderson and St Martins Lane in London. Morgans Hotel Group and an equity partner also own the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and related assets.

Morgans Hotel Group has other property transactions in various stages of completion, including projects in SoHo, New York, Palm Springs, California, Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, Playa del Carmen, Mexico and Dubai, UAE. For more information please visit www.morganshotelgroup.com : .

About Natalie Kovacs:


Natalie Kovacs is an international independent curator specializing in performance public art projects involving and exploring new media.

Kovacs’ practice engages audiences with the environment and encourages interaction. Recent projects include: Design High in London at the LTB Foundation; Audience, an interactive design performance installation by random international at Design Miami Basel; Never-Everland at Design Miami Basel, a sculpture exhibition using design as the medium with a performative twist; Soundbike at Art Basel Miami Beach, an interactive performance art vehicle which involved a bicycle exploring the acoustic ecology of the city and our relationship to the planet; SEED, the first interactive cell-phone-driven video project in New York.
Kovacs has repeatedly used public spaces during art fairs as a platform in art and design and her collateral exhibition during Art Basel Miami Beach Live in a Different Revolution by random international was voted as one of the top 10 exhibitions.

About Ben & Jerry’s:


Ben & Jerry’s produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and ice cream novelties, using the highest-quality ingredients, including milk and cream from family farmers who do not treat their cows with the synthetic hormone rBGH. The company states its position on rBGH on its labels. Ben & Jerry’s products are distributed in the U.S. and 24 other countries globally in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops and other venues. Ben & Jerry’s operates its business based on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and giving back to the community at a local and global level. The company’s Social Mission focuses in particular on issues relating to economic and social justice, environmental restoration and world peace. For the full scoop on Ben & Jerry’s products, values and Scoop Shop locations please visit www.benjerry.com : .



Morgans Hotel GroupJennifer Foley, Vice President of Public

Relations212-277-4166 jennifer.foley@morganshotelgroup.com : mailto:jennifer.foley@morganshotelgroup.com orCarma
Public RelationsChad Fabrikant, 786-282-1139 chad@carmapr.com : mailto:chad@carmapr.com orPeople’s
RevolutionRobyn Berkley, President, 917-608-5314 robyn.berkley@peoplesrevolution.com : mailto:robyn.berkley@peoplesrevolution.com orBen
& Jerry’s Grand Poobah of P.R.Sean Greenwood, 802-846-1500 E.Sean.Greenwood@benjerry.com : mailto:E.Sean.Greenwood@benjerry.com