In London, Artist Tracey Emin Gets Her Own Restaurant Dining Room

As you may have heard, art is getting kind of insanely valuable. On the heels of the news of a record sale at Christie's auction house in New York City last night, where a Francis Bacon painting sold for a record $142 million, the restaurant 34 in London's Mayfair neighborhood has announced that it's striking an intriguing partnership with famed English artist Tracey Emin.

Emin, a once-controversial conceptual artist known for her installation "Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995," has worked with 34 before, creating a doggie bag featuring a painting of owner Richard Caring's dog Roxy (see our story here). But this new collaboration runs deeper — Emin calls it a "creative adventure" — with a yearlong takeover of 34's private dining room, curated by the artist, Caring and her gallerist Carl Freedman.

Opening tomorrow, the room accommodates up to 60 for a seated lunch or dinner, and will feature a rotating selection of orginal art by Emin herself, from paintings to neon to new mediums such as tapestries and mirrors. The début show, if you will, features 12 works, including the examples below. And while the room is available for private parties throughout the next year, it's open to the public through Christmas with a minimum purchase.

Inside The Emin Room at 34 in London, and below, more works by Tracey Emin.[/caption]

34, 34 Grosvenor Squre, London W1K 2HD, 020 3350 3434, 34-restaurant.co.uk