Palms Casino Resort

Please position yourself in front of the Palms Casino Resort signage, to the left of the Chief Hotel Court sign.

Originally opened in 2001, the Palms Casino Resort underwent significant renovations from 2017 to 2019, valued at almost $700 million. These renovations included the acquisition of an eclectic array of modern art for public display, featuring works by Takashi Murakami, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Damien Hirst. One of the most celebrated and controversial contemporary artists of his generation, Hirst designed an entire suite for the Palms titled the “Empathy Suite,” which includes sculptures of a dissected bull shark, titled Winner/Loser, a medicine cabinet, titled Vegas, and a large case filled with stunning cubic zirconia diamonds, titled The Winner Takes All. These pieces all embody themes that are common throughout Hirst’s larger body of work, primarily focused on mortality, medicine, and addiction.

The Palms’ incorporation of fine art is indicative of a larger shift in Las Vegas, towards a reimagination of the city as a global destination for arts and culture. Scheduled to open in 2028, the recently announced Las Vegas Museum of Art will operate in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and feature a building designed by Kéré Architecture. According to architect Francis Kéré, “the [Las Vegas Museum of Art’s] design [will blend] the beauty of the desert environment with local building principles,” such as passion and collaboration. Additionally, the initial renderings of the building feature an homage to Las Vegas’ Guardian Angel Cathedral, designed by Paul Revere Williams.