Velvet St. Bernards, leather octopuses, mohair whales, bulldogs, sea scallops, and hermit crabs have taken up residence in the historic sculpture galleries of Paris’s Petit Palais. Dollys & Beaux, an installation by Cologne-based artist Cosima von Bonin, is part of Art Basel Paris 2026’s free public programme.
These oversized soft sculptures—crafted in leather, velvet, mohair, and other textiles—first appeared earlier in 2026 at LOEWE’s Fall/Winter show at the Château de Vincennes, commissioned by creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. Seated among runway guests, the creatures also informed the collection’s garments and accessories. At the Petit Palais they return with new theatrical details: silk scarves, tartan accents, and other fashion flourishes that heighten their presence among the museum’s classical stone figures.
A midnight-blue velvet St. Bernard wears a plush rescue barrel; a black-and-white mohair killer whale lounges with unexpected tenderness; leather octopuses sprawl or perch; scallops and hermit crabs add further comic notes. Their languid poses, exaggerated forms, and dry humour gently disrupt the solemnity of the Beaux-Arts setting, hovering between the endearing and the absurd. Von Bonin’s signature approach—familiar imagery treated with irreverence—invites viewers to question artistic hierarchies and what deserves to be taken seriously.
Presented by Petzel Gallery (New York), Gaga (Mexico City), and Galerie Neu (Berlin), Dollys & Beaux extends the dialogue between contemporary art and luxury fashion while injecting the museum’s grand interiors with wit, softness, and unexpected company.
Cosima von Bonin: Dollys & Beaux / Petit Palais, Art Basel Paris 2026. October 22, 2026.
