When Patrick Perrin, a fourth-generation Parisian antique dealer, launched PAD Paris in the Jardin des Tuileries in 1998, he saw a gap in the market – no other fair was exclusively dedicated to 20th-century and contemporary design. In 2007, he launched PAD London in Berkeley Square and over almost two decades it’s become an integral fixture during Frieze, embracing design and craft alongside historical works that wouldn’t be out of place in a museum. It’s the antithesis of the periodically maximalist aesthetic of Frieze; a place of calm and contemplation for those who know their design history. Or, frankly, for those who appreciate the value of thoughtful curation when so many art fairs barely disguise their capitalist greed.
This year’s PAD London, which will present 66 exhibitors from 15 countries, looks to be its most alluring yet. There’s a series of brightly coloured mid-century “Pulcini” (Italian for “chicks”) birds by Alessandro Pianon, handcrafted from Murano glass and perched on metal legs and, on a much grander scale, Reclining Figure, a stunning Henry Moore conceived in 1969 and cast in 1975. For those who prefer their sculptures in miniature, the fourth-generation family-run jeweller Hemmerle, founded in Munich in 1893 and celebrated for its use of innovative materials and dedication to craftsmanship, will be presenting a series of earrings. Made from metals including white gold and aluminium and high-quality stones ranging from sapphires and emeralds to magnesite, the earrings often feature at auction.
Fans of Josef Albers, one of the most influential abstract painters and foremost art teachers of the 20th century, will have the chance to see one of his intricately hand-woven wool tapestries, dating back to approximately 1970. With its concentric squares in yellow and orange, 2 Ocres Jaune et Orange, is immediately recognisable as one of Albers’ Homage to the Square series, which started in 1950 and continued until his death in 1976. Ptolemy Mann, who is exhibiting at PAD London for the first time, is a British artist who studied at the Royal College of Art and works in hand-dyed textiles, paintings and hybrid woven constructions. Her use of colour is breathtakingly vibrant and reminiscent of both Albers and the late Howard Hodgkin; the large-scale Kyushu Landscape, inspired by a trip to the Japanese island, will sit alongside another work, Yellow Violet Dynamics, both dating to 2025.
