During the inaugural edition of Frieze Seoul (2 to 5 September), Adrian Cheng, Founder of K11 Group and French publisher Cahiers d’Art will present Christian Zervos’ renowned catalogue raisonné, Pablo Picasso by Christian Zervos in partnership with LITO. To mark the 90th anniversary of the original French language volume, known simply as ‘Zervos’ and published in 1932, an English language edition will make its way to Korea. To celebrate the iconic tome, K11 Group, Cahiers d’Art, Sotheby’s and LITO will co-host a private event during Frieze Seoul.
“Bringing this modern masterpiece to the continent aligns with the mission of K11 to create cross-cultural exchange and contribute to the art discourse by collaborating and partnering with leading cultural institutions and industry specialists around the globe,” says K11 founder Adrian Cheng. “By presenting the ‘Zervos’ in Asia, we aim to inspire our community and spark conversations among its artists, curators and collectors.”
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), notably the greatest artist of the 20th century, devoted himself to an artistic production that has undeniably fueled the modern art movement for generations. In the early 1930s, Christian Zervos, an art historian, began the herculean task of cataloguing the artist’s vast oeuvre and prolific output, making it his life’s work. The first volume of Pablo Picasso by Christian Zervos was published in French in 1932 by Zervos’ publishing company, Cahiers d’Art. Together with Picasso and over four decades, he published 33 volumes with more than 16,000 paintings and drawings by the artist.
In 2014, Cahiers d’Art republished the 33-volumes ‘Zervos’ in a limited edition with 1,200 sets in English and 300 sets in French, partnering with Sotheby’s on the worldwide distribution. Each is identical to the original 90-year old catalogue with a few minor updates made in consort with the Picasso family office.
“It gives me great pride to introduce this significant historical reference, and a work of art in its own right, to our friends in Asia,” says Staffan Ahrenberg, CEO of Cahiers d’Art. “At Cahiers d’Art, we value the preservation of artistic creation, discourse and education through print. Christian Zervos’ passion and dedication exemplifies the importance of archiving our visual history so we may continue to share it with audiences across cultures and generations.”
In celebration of the 90th anniversary of ‘Zervos’ this year, Adrian Cheng will host a private event during Frieze Seoul with guests of honour, Cécile Debray, President of the Musée National Picasso-Paris and Staffan Ahrenberg, CEO and owner of Cahiers d’Art, along with other art world luminaries. An English edition of ‘Zervos’ will be available in Seoul to view by appointment throughout the week.
