A Weekend Full of Art and Design In Paris
- lucypeper
- Nov 1, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 10, 2024
From October 15 to 20, 2024, it was design week in Paris. The city was full of energy with the opening of the new Sotheby's headquarters in Paris, Art Basel, Design Miami, vernissages for established and young artists and much more. Read on to see some of my highlights.
Sotheby's Opening for New Paris Headquarters
83 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008
Last week, Sotheby's Paris opened its doors for the unveiling of the new building at the corner of Avenue Matignon in the 8th arrondissement. The building underwent a multi-year year renovation of a previous 1920s art gallery. The restoration preserved the Art Deco features, including wrought-iron and curved glass doors.
On Wednesday October 16th, Sotheby's welcomed VIP and VICs to its new headquarters in Paris for a cocktail. The opening cocktail invited not only VICs, but those in the creative industries, kicking off design week. At 9 pm, the corner of rue de Matignon was lined filled with hundreds of guests eager to get in. The cocktail's theme marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Surrealism. On display at Sotheby's was also an impressive collection of Surrealist art, including Salvador Dali's 1958 Meditative Rose, Rene Magritte's L’Incendie, Man Ray's Personnage and Joan Miró’s Femmes, all up for auction the following week.
The main floor, open to the atrium with a skylight above, was filled with dining options. The catering was just as surreal as the art. Cheese boards, mounds of brioche and edible fruit bouquets were positioned on top of design tray tables.
The second floor was home to more gallery space, as well as a chocolate room, with chocolate walls, designed by Leila Cooks.
The second floor was home to a collection of fine art, including Modernist art and Abstract Expressionism. Walk amongst Monet's Water Lilies, the brass works of Lalanne, or a sculpture by Degas.
This is also where the first ever, Original Birkin bag was on display, the one Jane Birkin in fact had designed for her.
Art Basel at Le Grand Palais
3 ave du Général Eisenhower, 75008
This year's Art Basel was located in Le Grand Palais in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Le Grand Palais was actually closed for many years, only open for Chanel's annual fashion show. The Grand Palais underwent massive infrastructure and renovation for years in order to repair the damage in the decades since being built for the 1900 Universal Exposition. The structure of the Grand Palais is built in the style of Beaux-Arts architecture and the exterior of the palace combines an imposing Classical stone façade with Art Nouveau ironwork. The staircase in the middle of the palace is universally acclaimed for its elegant, coiling wrought iron and green porphyry columns.
Now onto the artwork. Art Basel is of course known for the art exhibitors, and this year presented a large selection of well-known art exhibitors as well as emerging ones. This year featured well-known galleries such as Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, and Victoria Miro. Some well-known galleries with Parisian locations also included Galerie 1900-2000, Karsten Greve, Jousse Entreprise, Almine Rech, and Thaddaeus Ropac.
Design Miami at Karl Lagerfeld's Parisian Residence
L'hôtel de Maisons, 51 Rue de l'Université, 75007
This 18th century mansion in the 7th arrondissement stands as an iconic landmark deeply rooted in Parisian history, and was previously home to Karl Lagerfeld. This year, it was also used as the home for Design Miami. The whole apartment was set up with interior design galleries on display, occupying each room.
Galerie Eric Philippe showcased American modernism, including pieces by American architect Paul László, alongside historical Swedish design. Featured here was a unique coffee table, crafted from walnut and mother-of-pearl.
Galerie Mitterrand presented an extraordinary dining ensemble by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne with a unique 1965 marble and steel table paired with six chairs. And in the gardens, visitors could see a family of sheep, the iconic work of François-Xavier Lalanne.
This year, Galerie Desprez Breheret partnered with Galerie Gastou and presented a joint curation around crafts. Inspired by Brancusi's workshop, this inspiring scenography brought together furniture from the second half of the 20th century, including woodwork by Jean Touret.
Galerie Meubles et Lumières presented pieces by French designers Jean Pierre Laporte, Max Sauze, and Pierre Paulin, who were integral to the avant-garde movement of the 1960s. They presented a collection of designer furniture from the 60s and 70s, including the Salon "panoramique", a large canape by french designer Christian Adam.
Lebreton Gallery presented a unique selection of historical ceramic works by major French artists from the mid 20th century, including low tables by Roger Capron.
There was a small space dedicated to vintage jewelry from Karry Berreby. I discovered exquisite vintage watches from Bvlgari, Piaget, and Chopard.
THEMA: The Art Exhibition in an Old Hotel Particulier
Hôtel de Guise, 72 rue de l'Université, 75007
Just across the street from Design Miami was THEMA, an art fair for emerging designers, set in the historic Hôtel de Guise.
This was the perfect way to end the weekend. In contrast to the larger and more established Art Basel and Design Miami, THEMA presented a selection of emerging designers. In an old hotel particulier, the art show was set amongst the three floors of this historic building. From one room to another, the wide open doors invite you to enter a world of various designs, with a pronounced taste for craftsmanship.
In the basement of the Hôtel de Guise, Studio KO presented a cabinet of curiosities: small objects, tablewear and art de vivre including candlesticks, a set of blown glasses by Thibault Philip and brass cutlery by Sebastião Lobo.
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