Pierre Paulin: a present thought
Sotheby's, Paris

For several years, Sotheby’s, under the aegis of the Design department headed by Florent Jeanniard, has paid tribute to the great figures of twentieth century design by organizing monographic exhibitions, such as those dedicated to Jacques Lacloche, Pierre Staudenmeyer and, more recently, Diego Giacometti and Pierre Cardin. In 2020, it is to the famous French designer, Pierre Paulin, that an exhibition will be dedicated from January 31 to February 6 in our Parisian gallery.

Nearly 40 pieces of furniture, lights and models will be presented, including iconic models, designed between the 1970s and 2000s by Pierre Paulin, such as the Elysée furniture, the U modular libraries, the Déclive, the Tapis-Siège or the Ensemble Dune. For a week, the exhibition, curated by Paulin, Paulin, Paulin, will retrace the work of this designer with an exceptional career.

Alice and Benjamin Paulin: “With Paulin, Paulin, Paulin, what we love is telling a story. We have a family and passionate bond with the work of Pierre Paulin and our driving force is to bring it to life through very specific projects like this exhibition which we are happy to stage at Sotheby’s.

Through their project, Paulin, Paulin, Paulin, Alice, Benjamin and Maïa Paulin, intend to extend the work of Pierre Paulin by disseminating, enhancing and preserving the works of the designer. Their goal is to offer an enriched panorama of the work of Pierre Paulin in order to make visible the incredible modernity of a creator in perpetual research.

In a process of preservation and protection of heritage, Paulin, Paulin, Paulin researches, indexes and classifies the pieces and archives of Pierre Paulin to show the extent of a multifaceted and visionary work. Thanks to the collection and collection of working documents (drawings, photos, models …) made available, the company promotes study and discussion around the designer, initiates new projects and new collaborations with public or private institutions. The family business also produces rare pieces from the designer’s work. Their vocation is to bring into existence or extend some of the dreams dearest to Pierre Paulin.