Works from the House of Hydra by Pauline Karpidas, a great patron and collector, as well as a patron of the arts, are being auctioned at Sotheby's Paris during the evening of October 30 and the day of October 31, 2023.
An Aegean haven dedicated to art and design, Pauline Karpidas surrounded herself with works by artists she admired, associated with, or supported. Highlights include historical works by the Lalannes, commissioned by Pauline Kapidas before the artistic couple became famous, as well as creations by contemporary artists such as Grayson Perry, Marlene Dumas, Jacqueline Humphries, and Georg Baselitz.
Pauline Karpidas is one of the world's greatest art collectors, known for her passion for artistic creation in all its forms and her exquisite selection. Like other great collectors of the 20th century,e century like Peggy Guggenheim or Dominique de Menil, Pauline Karpidas built her collection surrounded by artists who became friends.
This fall, Sotheby's will sell works from the collector's magical estate on the Greek island of Hydra. Originally conceived as a family home, the property has gradually transformed into a veritable palace of art and design. Thanks to Pauline Karpidas, Hydra, an island that has always attracted artists, has become a must-see meeting place for artists, collectors, and curators.
The evening sale in Paris on October 30th features 40 lots, followed by a daytime sale of 230 lots on October 31st. The pieces on display reflect the elegant blend of contemporary art and design that characterizes the collection, also including numerous sculptures displayed in the gardens or within the house. Highlights will be exhibited in New York, London, and Paris before the auction.
Pauline Karpidas and the Boudouris Manor
Pauline Karpidas is originally from Manchester. In the 1970s, she moved to Athens, where she opened a boutique. The Greek capital allowed her to meet her future husband, Constantinos Kapidas, and discover a passion for art.
The couple's encounter with legendary gallery owner Alexander Iolas marked the beginning of their destiny as collectors. Alexander Iolas was best known for being the first to exhibit works by Andy Warhol. In 1974, Pauline's extraordinary personality, often highlighted by her friends, captivated Iolas from their first meeting. For her, the art dealer renounced his retirement and made it his mission to make her a great collector. Pauline threw herself into it body and soul, and her passion for art and artists would never falter.
There are many luxurious homes on Hydra, including Pauline's House, a magnificent historic stone residence on the way to Kamini Beach overlooking the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea. Known as the "Bouduris Mansion," after a noble Greek family who lived there, the house, which includes an Orthodox church, has been completely restored by the collector, retaining its original features while creating an ideal environment for preserving her collection.
Design and the Lalannes
Through her collaborations with interior designer Jacques Grange and gallery owner David Gill, and the support of artists and designers such as Mattia Bonetti, André Dubreuil, Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, Pauline Karpidas has transformed her home into a haven of design and art that coexist and complement each other wonderfully.
Among the favorite artists of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé (formerly represented by Alexandre Iolas), Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne produced highly regarded works that are now part of the greatest collections. Pauline Karpidas was one of the first to collect them. After meeting the couple for the first time in 1978 at their home in Ury, she commissioned several pieces from them.
In this respect, the collector's Hydra residence presents numerous examples of bestiaries and mythical creations of Lalannes, as the Choupatte (large size) guarding the oak doors of the residence; Pauline's Donkey welcoming visitors; the Serpent balustrade guiding them to the entrance hall; the elegant Williamsburg Tables and Chairs in the inner courtyard; the Shower Monkey blending into the green garden or the Silver Bird swinging on the upper terrace.
Works by the Swiss designer Mattia Bonetti and his partner elizabeth garouste from the 1980s are also exhibited in every room of the house. Their pieces are poetic and fanciful, often baroque, all unique and celebrate the decorative arts, between works of art and functional furniture. They feature the creative duo's favorite materials to combine luxury, tradition and innovation: patinated bronze, marble, golden rock crystal, glass, but also acrylic and 3D prints.
The French designer André Dubreuil also features prominently in the Karpidas collection. A leader in contemporary furniture in the late 1980s, Dubreuil is known for its entirely handcrafted wrought iron pieces inspired by French and East Asian antiques. Its famous Spine tripod chair, whose classic elegance was at odds with the minimalist surroundings of the 1980s, instantly became a design classic. At Hydra, Dubreuil's lighting and furniture blend seamlessly with contemporary art and the local heritage architecture.
The Hydra Encounters
Since the 1990s, Pauline Karpidas has focused on emerging artists, many of whom would go on to become big names in the contemporary art world. She opened a gallery in Port Hydra in 1996, and each summer exhibition begins with weekend-long meetings bringing together artists, writers, curators, dealers, gallerists, and collectors from around the world. The gallery is known as " Hydra Workshops " Organized in partnership with gallery owner Sadie Coles, these meetings fostered not only friendships but also collaborations and exhibition ideas in the art world.
Grayson Perry, whose works are presented in this sale, was dedicated to one of the first exhibitions at the Hydra Gallery in collaboration with David Gill. Subsequently, some of the greatest artists of the early 21st century were honored, from Cecily brown à George Condo, Via Christopher Wool et john currinWhen the gallery opened, the "Package Holiday" exhibition brought together young artists featured in "Sensation" in 1997, the Royal Academy of Art's groundbreaking exhibition. They included Damien Hirst et Tracey EminPauline Karpidas's long-awaited exhibitions were often devoted to her latest discoveries, to the artists who fascinated her and to those from whom she commissioned work, such as Urs Fischer et nate lowman.
Every year, the photographer Johnnie Shand took images of the event that highlight the informality and conviviality of these meetings. In 2015, the photographs were exhibited at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, a small nod to Pauline Karpidas's hometown. 2017 saw the final Hydra meetings.
Contemporary Art
The Hydra Collection sale will include contemporary art pieces by artists supported by the collector and featured in her exhibitions. Several of the creators were fans of Hydra Workshops: Grayson Perry, Damien Hirst, Richard Prince, nate lowman, Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas et Donald Baechler.
Other contemporary celebrities admired by Pauline Karpidas will also be part of the sale, including Marlene Dumas, Georg baselitz, kiki smith, Jacqueline Humphries et Thomas Houseago. Finally, signatures giving letters of nobility to contemporary photography will be represented. Nan Goldin à Richard Prince via Wolfgang Tillmanns et Hellen van Meene, all are at the origin of a rich and varied work which appears at the beginning of a century fascinated by the image.
Sales & exhibitions
Sotheby's Paris
Sales in Paris during the evening of October 30 and the day of October 31, 2023.
Exhibitions à New York from September 23 to 27, at London from October 11 to 15 and Paris from October 14 to 19 for the selection of lots, and from October 25 to 29 for the exhibition of the entire sale.
For more information www.sothebys.com.
André Tirlet
Legends: 1/ Claude Lalanne, Very Big Choupatte, 2008 2/ Jacqueline Humphries, Untitled, 2011 3/ François-Xavier Lalanne, Well-established Cow I and II, circa 2000 4/ Claude Lalanne, Williamsburg bench, 2009 5/ Claude Lalanne, Miroir, 2009 – Juan Muñoz, Untitled Figure, 1991 – François-Xavier Lalanne, L’âne bâté (Pauline’s donkey), circa 1980 6/ François-Xavier Lalanne, Silver Bird, circa 1990 7/ Claude Lalanne, Williamsburg Round Tables, 2009-10 8/ Pauline and Constantinos Karpidas, Private Family Archive 9/ Pauline and Tracey Emin. Photographed by Johnnie Shand Kydd © Adagp, Paris, 2023 10 / Grayson Perry. Photographed by Johnnie Shand Kydd © Adagp, Paris, 2023 11 / Pauline and Sarah Lucas. Hydra 1998. Photographed by Johnnie Shand Kydd © Adagp, Paris, 2023 12 / Francesco Clemente, Savinio's Island, 2013 – Damien Hirst, Wretched War, 2004 13 / Georg Baselitz, Ohne Title (Weiblicher Akt), 1977 14 / Marlene Dumas, As the water falls (the Chinese were right), 2000 Kiki Smith, Mary Magdalene, 1994.
