About the fair
The Pavilion of Art & Design London is organised by the Société d’Organisation Culturelle (SOC) which was founded in 1996 by Patrick Perrin and Stéphane Custot.
Patrick Perrin has been immersed in the art market since his youth. After studying art history in London and working for Christie’s in New York, he opened a gallery with his father located on the Place Beauvau in Paris, specializing in 18th century French Furniture. He unleashed his passion for Old Master drawings and created the Salon du Dessin in Paris in 1991. Perrin opened his own gallery on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris in 1991 and has published a collection of six monographs entitled ‘Les Cahiers du Mobilier’ (Furniture notebooks) dedicated to prominent cabinet makers in the 18th century.
Stéphane Custot studied law in Paris and art history in New York. He worked for Hopkins Gallery in 1989 before joining the partnership in 1996. Specializing in Modern and Contemporary Art, the gallery exhibits at leading art fairs across the world and its expertise has become a valuable asset to international institutions and museums. Fernando Botero, Marc Quinn and Sam Szafran are among the artists exhibited by the gallery. Stéphane Custot has been living in London since 2005.
In 1997 Perrin and Custot created what has since become one of the most anticipated cultural events in France, the Pavillon des Arts et du Design Paris. Originally known as the Pavillon des Antiquaires et des galeries d’art (the Pavilion of Antique dealers and art galleries), the fair is inspired by the cabinets de curiosités and brings together international gallery owners as well as young promising dealers, whose area of expertise covers the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
Since 2007 the fair has taken a new turn, focussing on Art and Design from 1860 to today. By redefining its date range, the Pavilion captures the emergence of the relationship between art and industry, the beginnings of the Arts and Crafts movement and design. Now called Pavilion of Art & Design Paris, the 15th edition will take place at the Tuileries in Paris from 30 March to 3 April 2011.
The Pavilion of Art & Design London, formerly known as DesignArt London, was founded in 2007 during Frieze Week in the same spirit, dedicated to post-war and contemporary design and the decorative arts. In 2009 the fair was renamed and expanded to include Modern Art.