Considered a master of oversized visual display art, Stephen Stefanou is embellishing MGM’s Grande Praça with colorful butterflies. The installation is expected to reach completion over the weekend, with the official opening planned for the beginning of May.
In an exclusive interview with the Times, Mr Stefanou, president and design director of Dallas-
based Design Solutions, said that the theme for the “butterfly garden” was inspired by the yearly migration of billions of monarch butterflies from Canada to Mexico.
“When they fly from Canada, they fly in a pattern called laminar flow, so this is all inspired by laminar flow flight; they’re flying around the room from one end to another,” he said.
Stefanou told the Times that he was aware of his potential as a designer from an early age. However, he never thought of design as something that he wanted to do. “I still don’t know what I want to do; I’m just doing it. So, I don’t create with an objective in mind, I create with a collaboration in mind […] When you’re creative in a collaborative sense, you never really know what you are doing,” he revealed.
The habit of only choosing high-quality materials, products, ideas and such strongly contributed to the designer’s success. He believes that the most important thing when designing and curating is to “make it and let it be the best that it can be.”
Stephen Stefanou, who is also the designer of the aquarium at Grande Praça, explained that the collaboration with MGM Macau started when he was recommended by the Las Vegas MGM Grand’s board of directors.
“So Grant Bowie [CEO of MGM China] brought me in. […] And the assignment was ‘I need something fabulous, I need something that will be an attraction. I need something that will make people from mainland China, when they see this in the media, want to come here to see what this is,” explained the designer.
When asked about the strengths of the venue in relation to the work he wanted to bring in, Stephen stressed that the property’s Grande Praça area is the main advantage of the designs and exhibitions MGM has been holding, as it is suitable for installations and events.
The designer also emphasized that he sees no differences in designing for an American or a Chinese client.
“For me there’s no difference because I’m coming from the same place, I’m coming from what would be beautiful. What would be beautiful to a mainland Chinese client and a New Yorker is different, but for me I would still behave the same way,” explains the designer.
The “Butterfly Garden” creator also revealed that he is constantly searching for inspiration, stressing that he would attend Milanese furniture shows, Tucson mineral shows, fashion collections or displays of arts, antiques and jewelry..
“I gather ideas […] what I have is an inspiration. I’ll be inspired with a color palette, color material, particular artists,” said the creator of the Giant Pinwheel Trees at the MGM.
Stefanou also encourages local artists not to be bound by their traditions: “You will always have the opportunity to break out beyond where you are; it’s your choice. So if you believe this is all you could do, then that’s all you can do,” he said.
The “Butterfly Garden” will feature a kaleidoscope of butterflies with wingspans of 4’ by 8’, with six specially-placed large butterflies (wingspan of 24’ by 24’ for the largest of the six) suspended at a lower elevation in the heart of Grande Praça. Staff reporter
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