Most premium hotels usually acquire works of art to decorate their walls, but a few hotels have built up an art collection in the process. The WelcomArt Collection, composed of original art works owned by the ITC Group of hotels, is therefore unique.

Shaped by the demands of the 42 properties owned by ITC, WelcomArt has always been one of the most interactive art collections, says Ina Puri, the Delhi-based curator for the collection.

"The West View at the Maurya Delhi is an example. Being a restaurant for Italian cuisine, we have decided to acquire or commission works of abstract art for it," she says. "Harshvardhan has done some marvellous paintings for the area," she adds.

To encourage this interactivity, ITC had commissioned a project last month. A group of artists from Kolkata had travelled to Delhi and Jaipur to execute projects and share them with local artisans and craftsmen.

"It went off very well. Holi was a real inspiration," said Puri.

Artists like Sanjay Bhattacharya, Subrata Kundoo, M F Hussain, Tyeb Mehta and Anjali Ela Menon are associated with the collection.

One of the most celebrated pieces in the collection is M F Hussain's Tryptych on Music. In this painting, the artist has used the 'raga' and fused music and art in a modern recreation of the 'ragamalas'. 'Ragamalas' are paintings which evoke the seasons, time of day or mood and are inspired by the traditional Indian belief that a true connoisseur of art cannot truly enjoy only one form unless it is put in context of the other art forms.

However, WelcomArt is distinct from ITC's own corporate art collection as well as the minor art and sculpture collection that is housed at the Sangeet Research Academy, the performing arts centre.

WelcomArt recently launched an acquisition and commissioning drive for the launch of its hotels, the Grand Maratha in Mumbai and Sonar Bangla in Kolkata.

For the Sonar Bangla, which is an opulent 18-acre garden hotel off the city centre, artists will focus on the concept of the Bengali bagaan-baris or country palaces.

"For the Grand Maratha, more of post-modern and contemporary art will be acquired," said Puri.

It is largely due to former ITC chairman A N Haskar and ITC Hotels managing director Habib Rehman's passion for art that the collection has grown faster than it can be managed, which is why Puri's first responsibility was to take stock of the art collection, restore old pieces, create a catalogue and a database for guests.