Inside the Chez Sotheby’s Private Paris Selling Exhibition

A singular artistic, cultural, and culinary convergence, timed with and in close proximity to Art Basel Paris, the Chez Sotheby’s pop-up presents nearly $150 million in artwork within a private Parisian apartment that overlooks the Jardin des Tuileries. Imagined in collaboration with _POLIMENO founder Valerio Polimeno, the project—which marks the most valuable private selling exhibition ever showcased by Sotheby’s in Europe—is open to the public through October 24, though attendees must email in advance for the location.

The exhibition integrates into a series of residential rooms, each defined by a distinct curatorial perspective. In the foyer, works by Picasso, Lucio Fontana, Andy Warhol, and François-Xavier Lalanne evoke the collecting sensibility of art dealer Alexander Iolas, while the lush dining room channels the spirit of Paris’ historic salons.

There, Hernan Bas’ 2022 painting Stragglers at a Dilettanti Society Gathering anchors an arrangement of works by Matisse, Jean Dubuffet, Gerhard Richter, and others. The living room brings together Edgar Degas’ Deux danseuses assises (circa 1896) with contemporary pieces by Cecily Brown, George Condo, Ed Ruscha, and Tracey Emin, establishing a cross-generational dialogue.

Central to the experience, a restaurant designed by Tarek Shamma was available for attendees to book in advance (though reservations filled up within a day). A dedicated bar celebrates Alexander Calder and the creative relationships that forged his career in Paris during the 1920s. Works by Calder appear alongside those of Joan Miró, Fernand Léger, Georges Braque, and Pierre Soulages, connecting Cubism, abstraction, and postwar painting.

With a cocktail program overseen by Colin Field, the storied former head bartender of the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris, the bar itself features a mirrored silver surface inspired by the interiors of Le Montana, the storied Saint-Germain-des-Prés nightlife destination, with additional design references drawn from Paco Rabanne’s experiments with metallic materials. The result extends the exhibition’s exploration of Parisian cultural history into an environment shaped by art, fashion, and hospitality.

Polimeno explains, “Art and food have the same magic: they bring people together. More than an exhibition, Chez Sotheby’s was imagined as a place to gather, spend time, and discover art in a memorable setting. It has been a deeply personal project to develop with the Sotheby’s team, and I hope visitors feel that sense of connection when they visit.”