Le Dame opened the first gallery in Notting Hill in 2013, but the urge to showcase talented contemporary artists from all over the world, made them move to a bigger venue, able to fulfil the company’s expectations. They found the perfect match with Meliá White House, a 4 star luxury hotel in London’s city center. Easily turned into a giant art hub, the 8 floors listed building represents a unique, stunning, and immense exhibition space with over 2000 sq meters, able to showcase over 200 artists and more than 700 artworks at once.

After their successful first event together last January with the ARTROOMS Fair, next 15th of May, Le Dame Art Gallery will officially open a new gallery space at Meliá White House Hotel to present a vibrant program of exhibitions curated by Miguel Mallol, with artists such as Gaspare Manos, MauPal, Rafal Zawistowsky, Ruben Fuentes, Alice White, Gloria Sulli, Roberto Montanari, Mauro Molle, Luca Indraccolo, Rosa Migliardi and Franco Nonnis just to name a few.

The first exhibition, running from the 15th of May until the 4th of June, is called “Archaeology of the layers” and will showcase artists Leandro Lottici & Fabio Mariani. Both Italians, from Rome, they share approach to the unique use of the material. “There are contrasts between the two artists, in some ways they can even be opposites. They play and express themselves with the materials that they adore and it is this which brings them together. I consider them to be the two sides of the same coin because of their method, but at the same time everything in them suggests they are attracted to each other as opposite poles” says curator Miguel Mallol.

Leandro Lottici’s images of skyscrapers and buildings can be considered the main subjects of his artistic research, which also includes several woodcuts. Leandro’s public commissions include the Namoc-National Art Museum of China in Beijing, the Council of Rome, the Foundation Catel and the Archive of Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Vatican City. His monumental sculptures can be seen in several Italian towns such as Rome, Terni, Fontenuova, Parma, as well as in the Vatican. His work has been recently celebrated with a first retrospective at Museum Spazio Tadini in Milan.

Fabio Mariani is a surrealist artist, whose works have been appreciated for the vibrant use of colour and layering, paying homage to his innate spirituality, which he conveys in his works, offering the viewer a glimpse into the perceived reality or ‘inner universe’ of his rich landscapes and visual stories. Mariani’s art represents a sense of spirituality and serves as a mode of visual storytelling about an artist who is well travelled and yet keeps an intimate bond with his childhood home. He still resides and paints in the neighbourhood where he grew up, which highlights the importance of his roots as a pivotal source of inspiration in his landscape paintings. Painting with personality and instinct, Fabio Mariani’s artworks have been exhibited in several museums and galleries in different countries, both in in private and public collections.

The private view on the 14th of May will be sponsored by La Veneranda (www.laveneranda.com), Italian wine and extra virgin olive oil producers since 1568. Maria Aloisa Moncelli, owner of the vineyard in 1827, was a woman with a great culture and wisdom, who received the nickname of La Veneranda (meaning “The Venerable”). Today, the company continues to produce high quality products, with ethos and passion. And recently, they have also decided to support emerging artists to spread the Italian culture and art all over the world. Therefore, in partnership with Le Dame Art Gallery, part of the benefits generated by the sales of La Veneranda’s produces in the UK, will be donated to young artists to incentivize new talents.