cosima von bonin’s plush animals arrive at paris’ petit palais

Paris’ Petit Palais has acquired some unusual residents for Art Basel Paris 2026. A velvet St. Bernard has joined the figures in its historic sculpture gallery, while leather octopuses and mohair whales occupy the same grand setting. The animals belong to Dollys & Beaux, an installation by Cologne-based artist Cosima von Bonin, whose oversized fabric creatures, created first for LOEWE , bring a peculiar sense of humor to the museum’s collection of classical sculpture.

The gathering includes a bulldog and a pair of scallops, along with hermit crabs that extend the artist’s strange little animal kingdom. Some have been dressed in silk scarves, while others sport tartan textiles added especially for their appearance in Paris. Their soft, exaggerated bodies seem perfectly comfortable sharing the gallery with their more solemn neighbors.…