CHEZ SOTHEBY’S RUNS IN PARIS THROUGH 24 OCTOBER

Sotheby's

Summary:

Chez Sotheby’s runs at 242 Rue de Rivoli in Paris through 24 October, during Art Basel Paris.
Sotheby’s lists nearly $150 million (about €133 million) of art for private sale.
Entry is free from 10am to 6pm. Daily lunch needs a reservation and is fully booked.

Sotheby’s and _POLIMENO opened Chez Sotheby’s in Paris on 19 October, and the venue stays open through 24 October during Art Basel Paris. The apartment sits at 242 Rue de Rivoli, overlooking the Jardin des Tuileries, close to the fair and Sotheby’s Paris. Sotheby’s describes the project as a living environment for art, dining and conversation.

The works total nearly $150 million (about €133 million) and cover Modern, Post-War and Contemporary art, with Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter and Francis Bacon leading the list. A separate presentation shows works by Alexander Calder. Picasso’s Deux nus couchés, from 1968, hangs in the foyer. The bar holds Joan Miró’s Paysan catalan inquiet par le passage d’un vol d’oiseaux, Georges Braque’s La Pianiste and Fernand Léger’s Le mannequin au damier. Sotheby’s calls the project the most valuable private selling exhibition the house has presented in Europe. Olivier Fau, Head of Private Sales, Continental Europe at Sotheby’s, said: “With extraordinary works by some of the greatest artists of the last century, Chez Sotheby’s is our most ambitious private sales exhibition ever presented in Europe.”

Tarek Shamma designed the restaurant at the center of the apartment. Chef Erika Blu of Atelier Renata created a menu of classic Italian dishes and French desserts. Colin Field, former head barman of the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris, runs the drinks program, from martinis to champagne. Valerio Polimeno, founder of _POLIMENO, shaped the hospitality and cultural programming. The concept draws on the salons of Marie-Laure de Noailles, Jacqueline de Ribes and Charles de Beistegui, and on Parisian venues such as Le Palace and Le Mathis.

Sotheby’s states entry is free and open to all. Doors open daily from 10am to 6pm, and general admission needs no reservation. Drop in for a coffee or a cocktail and look at the works on view. Sotheby’s lists the daily lunch service as reservation only and fully booked.