What does the word ‘Paris’ evoke for you?
The beautiful song Paris Paris that Malcom McLaren wrote for Catherine Deneuve in 1994.
Your first memory of Paris?
My grandmother’s salon de thé, Les Délices, next to the Place des Ternes in the 17th arrondissement – an old-fashioned teahouse of a kind that doesn’t exist anymore. It was one of the best eateries in Paris at the time. I lived with my family in the Paris suburbs, in Rueil-Malmaison, and we would sometimes go there to eat cakes. We would go down into the basement to see the pâtissiers and chocolatiers at work - it was a dream for a child.
Where do you feel most at home?
At the Louvre or the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. That’s where I go when I need to be alone, to faithfully pay a visit to the artworks that have become like friends to me.
What is the mark of a true Parisian?
There’s no one truth; that’s what makes Paris, Paris. It’s made up of an infinite number of personalities and is diverse in a way that is almost hard to fathom. One is not born a Parisian; one becomes one. It’s more than the caricature of the ‘chic and laidback’ Parisian. You can’t get more Parisian than the homeless guy living next to the Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul whom I get coffee with in the mornings, or the Chinese woman who runs the tobacconist next to the gallery, or the antiques dealer who I buy old picture frames from at the Clignancourt flea market, or the amazing Marie-Anne Derville, who designed the set for our ‘Edvard Munch, Anna Eva Bergman’ exhibition at the gallery and our booth at Paris+ par Art Basel. There’s no one truth to being Parisian, but a reality.
Which famous figure best embodies Paris?
Babi Badalov, an artist who grew up in Azerbaijan whom I am lucky enough to work with. He spent his life migrating from country to country, often secretly. He has now lived in Paris for fifteen years, in the working-class neighborhood of Goutte d’Or. He was a political refugee before gaining French citizenship. Because Paris is such an international city, it’s probably the only city where a stateless person like him can live freely, a place where he doesn’t feel foreign.
Your favorite place for breakfast?
The Café de l’Église on the Place Franz Liszt next to my place in the 10th arrondissement, looking out at the Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, which looms over the neighborhood at the top of the steps.
Where are the best boutiques?
In the Marais, where most of the contemporary art galleries are, as well as many of the city’s most amazing museums, like the Centre Pompidou and the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature. You can find everything there: specialist food stores, insightful bookstores like Les Cahiers de Colette on the Rue Rambuteau, mass-market or niche fashion clothing stores, hip pop-ups, beautiful florists on Rue de Turenne, and the famous hardware section in the basement of BHV.
Guests at your dream dinner party in Paris?
This dinner happens often, every time I invite over everyone in the team! We’re all very close, because of the adventure we’re all on together. But if I had to dream a little bigger, I would first of all ask my friend Fabien Vallos - a philosopher and gastronomy expert - to be in the kitchen and organize one of his famous banquets. I would also ask each member of the team to invite one person, alive or dead. This would give a sort of mishmash, where RuPaul would chat with Gisèle Halimi, and Barack and Michelle Obama with Paul B. Preciado, Adam Driver, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Nicolas Huchard.
Where do you go out in Paris?
I don’t go out much outside of work stuff, which is already very busy. But I like going to the big Paris hotels like Le Meurice on Rue de Rivoli, opposite the Tuileries, for a cocktail.
Which artwork best represents Paris?
Without a doubt, Christo’s Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped (1961-2021), and before that the wrapped Pont Neuf. They say everything about Paris and its monuments and history, its madness and boldness, its relationship with power and symbolism.
What is the craziest thing you’ve ever heard or seen on the streets of Paris?
Birdsong in deserted and silent streets during the first lockdown.
What can you only do in Paris?
Stand in front of the painting Pierrot (1718-1719) by Antoine de Watteau at the Louvre. It’s one of the most deeply moving paintings I know.
What do you miss the most about Paris when you are away?
My dog, a little whippet called Win. She is the gallery’s mascot.
Your best advice for those just visiting?
Take the Métro! And particularly, Line 4 from one end to the other. It goes across Paris from north to south; through Montparnasse, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Île de la Cité, Les Halles, Gare du Nord, Barbès, and Porte de Clignancourt with its famous flea markets. It’s a real summary of everything Paris can be, historically and above all sociologically. It’s fascinating to see the type of traveler change over the course of the Métro journey. But you have to love ‘people’!
Galerie Jérôme Poggi will participate in the Galeries sector of Paris+ par Art Basel, from Thursday, October 20 to Sunday, October 23, 2022.
All photos and videos by Aliki Christoforou for Paris+ par Art Basel.
English translation: Catherine Bennett