Galerie Kreo and Simon Lee Gallery swap spaces

The imposing entrance to Galerie Kreo in Paris
The imposing entrance to Galerie Kreo in Paris
(Image credit: Press)

Cross-channel relations have never been better. And how do we know? The ordinarily London-based Simon Lee Gallery is temporarily settling in to Galerie Kreo in Paris, while its Parisian counterpart will be camping out at the Mayfair-based Simon Lee Gallery, in an admirable feat of symbiotic culture sharing.

Channelling the current pop-up spirit, the work of selection of art world heavyweights has been dislodged from their habitual London haunt - including that of YBA Angela Bulloch, the late minimalist Donald Judd, American artist Larry Clark and photographer and artist Sherrie Levine - and transported to the Parisian space. Meanwhile Galerie Kreo has shipped over its design-focused collection of pieces by the likes of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson and Andrée Putman.

'Simon and Carine, and Clemence and I have all been great friends for at least 15 years, and we have always bought work from one another,' explains Galerie Kreo owner, Didier Krzentowski. 'We knew Simon before he had the gallery. It seemed to work because we both have lots of customers on either side of the Channel and we wanted to do something to be close to them. And some of our designers are English too, which is another nice touch.' And while Clemence and Didier are great admirers of contemporary art, so too are Simon and Carine enamoured of the design world. It's an Anglo-Franco love-in.

Galerie Kreo and Simon Lee Gallery swap spaces

'Untitled' by Larry Clark, 1968 - one of the works Simon Lee Gallery is exhibiting in Paris. 

(Image credit: © Larry Clark, courtesy of Simon Lee Gallery, London and Luhring Augustine, New York)

Galerie Kreo and Simon Lee Gallery swap spaces

'Dada' by Sherrie Levine, 2008, on show at Galerie Kreo. 

(Image credit: © Sherrie Levine, courtesy of Simon Lee Gallery, London)

Galerie Kreo and Simon Lee Gallery swap spaces

'Gambe accavallate' by Michelangelo Pistoletto, on show at Galerie Kreo. 

(Image credit: © Michelangelo Pistoletto, courtesy of Simon Lee Gallery, London)

The entrance to Simon Lee Gallery in Mayfair

The entrance to Simon Lee Gallery in Mayfair

(Image credit: Press)

Galerie Kreo and Simon Lee Gallery swap spaces

'Table Grenouille' by Hella Jongerius, on show at Simon Lee Gallery. 

(Image credit: © Fabrice Gousset, courtesy of Galerie Kreo)

Event Horizon

'Event Horizon' by Marc Newson, on show at Simon Lee Gallery. 

(Image credit: © Fabrice Gousset, courtesy of Galerie Kreo)

Carrara Table

'Carrara Table' by Jasper Morrison, on show at Simon Lee Gallery. 

(Image credit: © Morgane Le Gall, courtesy of Galerie Kreo, Paris)