Artist, art director, and designer Alexandre Benjamin Navet is known for his irreverent use of colour and playful whimsy—expertise he’ll lend Christie’s this spring as it launches its 2024 Collector series with a triple-city sale curated by the Frenchman.
The grand auction will be held simultaneously in London, Paris, and New York, offering a unique opportunity to acquire from a collection of 700 lots spanning European and English 19th-century furniture and decorative arts from the 16th to 20th centuries. As the first tastemaker for the 2024 Collector’s series, Navet has handpicked his favourite lots from across the three cities.
‘I am driven by the power of colour and I love the notion of interior exterior in my compositions and in my own interior,’ says Navet. His edit embodies this ethos, filled with surprise connections and spontaneity, as he encourages buyers to ‘select pieces that take you away from reality!’
‘My favourite lot in the London sale is this Louis XVI polished steel lit à baldaquin (bed),’ he says. ‘I am always fascinated by this type of object. I like the fact that this example is particularly architectural.’
His other picks include an intricate silver table service in the Paris sale, which boasts an ‘unexpected scale and sophistication’, and a hexagonal Chinese enamel lantern in the New York sale, which he calls ‘a “nomadic” object that can be moved from room to room.’
Navet adds: ‘It has been a joy to select my favourite six works from each of The Collector sales in Paris, London and New York. So many extraordinary pieces, it has been like a treasure hunt!’
Estimates vary wildly, with some lots offered with no reserve, while others are expected to fetch £61,000-86,000 ( €70,000-100,000/ $77,000-110,000 or £61,000-86,000).
Viewing starts on 5 April, and bidding begins on 10 April until 23 April 2024 in London, 24 April in Paris, and 25 April in New York.
