If you happened to stop by the Private Choice preview cocktail in Paris on Saturday night, you would have had a hard time believing the apartment was actually a giant mise en scène. And the cinematic comparison makes a nifty double entendre; more than a century ago, the family of film maverick George Méliès occupied this building, adjacent to the city's garment district (his father was a successful bootmaker).
As a follow-up to last year's impressive staging – like this one, coinciding with the international contemporary art fair Fiac – Private Choice founder and project director Nadia Candet has asserted her curatorial taste on a residential space where a wide variety of artworks, furniture and design objects come together as a unified whole. Minus the Le Corbusier staircase, the lustrous Andrée Puttman light fixture and a few other pieces drilled into walls, everything is available for purchase. And yes, this includes the site-specific Felice Varini geometric perspective painting that will be custom re-created for the prospective buyer (at €50,000, it also happens to be the priciest item).
Candet has arranged the work in inspired juxtapositions: César fingerprint gold and platinum-accented china with Patrick Jouin for Puiforcat silverware; Zaha Hadid's vases for Lalique within arm's reach from Sacha Walchkoff's teal astrakhan armchair for Pouenat. Connecting several pieces is a subtle theme of orientation. Above the upper-level entryway, for instance, Melik Ohanian's neon art sign flashes '(T)HERE'. An 'X' marks the centre of Claude Closky's 'Ici [Here]' carpet in the library, positioned beneath Didier Faustino's 'Threesome Where' seating sculpture.
The inaugural edition showcased established and emerging artists separately, said Candet during an early walk-through. This year the integration makes a noticeable difference – particularly in the way people interact with the space. Some mingled around the Valentin Loellmann dining-room seating, as if in a home environment; others peeked intently into the bathroom to watch video art screened onto the turquoise wall. What they saw: a young duo that goes by the name None Futbol Club affixing 'Just Married' signage and tin cans to the back of a public bus.
The projection might have been smaller than the vanity mirror, but the effect underscored that this was no ordinary house. Like in a gallery, several pieces had already been marked by red dots.
Connecting several pieces is a subtle theme of orientation. Above the upper-level entryway, for instance, is Melik Ohanian's neon art sign '(T)HERE', from a 2006-2014 edition of five. On the sideboard are works by Florence Doléac and Claude Closky.
In a video screened onto the turquoise wall of the bathroom, a young duo called None Futbol Club affixes a 'Just Married' sign and tin cans to the back of a public bus. The 'Nao' stool is by Studio Katra.
Didier Faustino's 'Threesome Where' seating stands on a rug by Claude Closky. The artwork on the wall behind is 'James Turrell Evolution 2', 2014, by Nicolas Delprat.
A site-specific geometric perspective painting by Felice Varini will be customised for the prospective buyer. At €50,000, it is the priciest item for sale at Private Choice. On the sideboard is 'Bright Cells' by Hitomi Uchikura.
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressingPart of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationshipAnnouncing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craftThe heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
-
Contemporary artist collective Poush takes over Château La CosteMembers of Poush have created 160 works, set in and around the grounds of Château La Coste – the art, architecture and wine estate in Provence
-
‘David Hockney 25’: inside the artist’s blockbuster Paris show‘David Hockney 25’ has opened at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Wallpaper’s Hannah Silver took a tour of the colossal, colourful show
-
Jack White's Third Man Records opens a Paris pop-upJack White's immaculately-branded record store will set up shop in the 9th arrondissement this weekend
-
‘The Black woman endures a gravity unlike any other’: Pharrell Williams explores diverse interpretations of femininity in ParisPharrell Williams returns to Perrotin gallery in Paris with a new group show which serves as an homage to Black women
-
What makes fashion and art such good bedfellows?There has always been a symbiosis between fashion and the art world. Here, we look at what makes the relationship such a successful one
-
Architecture, sculpture and materials: female Lithuanian artists are celebrated in NîmesThe Carré d'Art in Nîmes, France, spotlights the work of Aleksandra Kasuba and Marija Olšauskaitė, as part of a nationwide celebration of Lithuanian culture
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this weekInvesting in quality knitwear, scouting a very special pair of earrings and dining with strangers are just some of the things keeping the Wallpaper* team occupied this week
-
Tom Wesselmann’s enduring influence on pop art goes under the spotlight in Paris‘Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &...’ is on view at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris until 24 February 2025
