During Art Basel Paris, Sotheby’s and _POLIMENO are creating an intimate Parisian setting where major works of art meet food, conversation and private collecting.
For one week during Art Basel Paris, Sotheby’s is stepping outside the traditional gallery and auction-room environment.
From 19–24 October 2026, Chez Sotheby’s will occupy a Parisian apartment on Rue de Rivoli overlooking the Jardin des Tuileries, bringing together art, dining and cultural exchange in an unusually intimate setting.
The project, created with _POLIMENO founder Valerio Polimeno, will feature nearly $150 million of art available for private sale, including works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter and Francis Bacon, alongside a presentation of works by Alexander Calder.
A Different Setting For Collecting
Rather than presenting the works as a conventional exhibition, Sotheby’s is creating an environment designed around the experience of spending time with art.
At its centre is a restaurant designed by Tarek Shamma. Guests can have lunch or cocktails surrounded by works that would ordinarily be encountered within an auction or private-sales context. The menu comes from chef Erika Blu of Atelier Renata, while the drinks programme is led by Colin Field, formerly of the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris.
The idea draws on a distinctly Parisian tradition: the relationship between art, hospitality, collectors and conversation. Sotheby’s references historic salons, homes and cultural institutions where artists and influential figures gathered around both creative work and social life.
Paris, Art And The Collector
For an increasingly sophisticated South African audience of collectors, artists, designers and luxury consumers, the significance is easy to recognise.
The international art market is becoming increasingly experiential, with the boundaries between collecting, hospitality and cultural programming becoming less rigid.
Chez Sotheby’s sits comfortably within that shift, while retaining the commercial purpose at its centre: the works are available for private sale.
It will also represent Sotheby’s most valuable private-selling exhibition ever presented in Europe, giving the project significance beyond its temporary Parisian setting.
For six days, art will simply become part of the rhythm of Paris — encountered over lunch, cocktails and conversation, rather than only beneath the formal lights of an auction room.
