In an effort to fuse the elegance of a five-star hotel with contemporary artistic expression, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona and Villa del Arte Galleries have joined forces to create a stunning new gallery.
Located in the heart of the city, on Passeig de Gràcia, this initiative seeks to provide guests and local residents with a unique experience that goes beyond the conventional.
The new gallery, which occupies 650 square meters on the first floor of the Hotel, is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the hotel and Villa del Arte Galleries, which had already established a temporary gallery on Passeig de Gracia in 2020.
However, this previous location was subject to a future expansion that finally made it unfeasible, leading to the creation of this new exceptional space.
The hotel’s general manager, Jean Philippe Moser, and the owner of Villa del Arte Galleries, Bert van Zetten, have been the driving force behind this symbiotic relationship that has culminated in the opening of this outstanding art gallery.
With a façade that opens onto Passeig de Gràcia, the gallery blends harmoniously into its surroundings, offering a visual experience from the outside and immersing visitors in a world of contemporary artistic expression upon entering.
An innovative artistic space in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
What makes this gallery unique is the arrangement of the works in different spaces of the hotel, including courtyards, restaurants and the charming interior garden Mimosa.
This creative arrangement allows the works of different artists to blend with the architectural and natural elements of the hotel, creating a multidimensional experience for visitors.
The gallery, named “Kaleidoscope”, offers a variety of multidisciplinary works, ranging from paintings and photographs to sculptures and video installations.
The artists selected to be part of this exhibition represent a diversity of styles and approaches, from the digital art of Albert Espona to the wood sculptures of Ingravidesa Sculpture Alliance.
The presence of contemporary Japanese art by Mari Ito and impressive iron and marble sculptures by Lluís Cera add additional layers of visual richness to the gallery.
A new perspective for the hotel and the city
The collaboration between the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Villa del Arte Galleries not only seeks to enrich the guest experience, but also to open a new window to contemporary art for local residents.
Jean Philippe Moser sees this collaboration as an honor and an added value for the hotel. He believes that the gallery not only enriches the cultural and artistic offerings of the Mandarin Oriental, but also contributes to the overall attractiveness of Barcelona as a tourist destination.
