What does it mean to keep an art institution alive for a hundred years – and why do books still matter in a digital age?

In this episode of Compelling, host Katy Wellesley Wesley sits down at Cahiers d’Art in Saint‑Germain‑des‑Prés with publisher Staffan Ahrenberg, curator Daniel Birnbaum and Serpentine artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist. Together they trace their personal journeys into art, from teenage encounters with Giacometti and jazz to families steeped in museums and collecting.

The conversation centres on the rebirth and centenary of Cahiers d’Art, exploring how the revue links Picasso, Duchamp and Goya to contemporary artists such as Gabriel Orozco, Arthur Jafa and Rosemarie Trockel. They discuss the idea of a “living archive”, connecting past to present through the eyes of artists, the role of catalogues raisonnés and the tension between physical books and new mixed‑reality experiences, echoing current experiments with VR and immersive exhibitions in leading institutions. Throughout, they argue that the future of art will be built from ‘fragments of the past’, constantly reactivated by new artists, new media and new readers.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Compelling

Staffan Ahrenberg: Swedish art collector, entrepreneur and film producer, Staffan Ahrenberg is the owner and publisher of Cahiers d’Art, the historic Parisian publishing house and gallery he relaunched in 2012. He has revitalised its revered revue, book and limited‑edition programmes, and co‑founded the nonprofit Cahiers d’Art Institute to publish catalogues raisonnés for leading 20th‑ and 21st‑century artists.

Daniel Birnbaum: Daniel Birnbaum is a writer and curator based in Paris and Stockholm. From 2000 to 2010 he was rector of the Städelschule in Frankfurt and director of its Portikus gallery. Between 2010 and 2018 he was director of Moderna Museet in Stockholm. In 2009 he curated the the 53rd Venice Biennial. His most recent exhibition is Wassily Kandinsky and Hilma af Klint. Dreams of the Future at K20 in Düsseldorf (with Julia Voss) and Dream Machines at DESTE Foundation (with Massimiliano Gioni). Recent publications include Exhibition, Academy, Museum: Notes on the Frames of Art (Walther König, 2022) and the novel Dr B (Gallimard, 2022). In 2024 Birnbaum joined the Warburg Institute’s Visionary Circle. 

Hans Ulrich Obrist: Hans Ulrich Obrist is Artistic Director of Serpentine in London, and Senior Advisor at LUMA Arles. Prior to this, he was the Curator of the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Since his first show ‘World Soup (The Kitchen Show)’ in 1991, he has curated more than 350 exhibitions. In 2011 Obrist received the CCS Bard Award for Curatorial Excellence, in 2015 he was awarded the International Folkwang Prize, and in 2025  he received the Prix François Morellet. Obrist’s recent publications include 140 Ideas for Planet Earth (2021), Edouard Glissant: Archipelago (2021), James Lovelock: Ever Gaia (2023), Remember to Dream (2023), Worldbuilding: Gaming and Art in The Digital Age (2024) and A Life In Progress (2025). 

Katy Wellesley Wesley: With over 18 years of leadership across galleries, foundations, and startups, Katy has built a career shaped by curiosity and a drive to explore new ideas. She spent a decade at leading commercial galleries—first at Gagosian, then at Pace, where she was Director of Exhibitions in London. She went on to lead the Villa Lena Foundation in Italy as Director, before joining the founding team of ROKBOX, a pioneering environmentally focused art logistics startup, as Sales Director. After relocating to Paris six years ago, Katy developed a strong interest in the intersection of art and luxury. To deepen this focus, she recently completed an Executive Master’s in Luxury Management and Design Innovation, a joint program between ESSEC Business School and Parsons School of Design. She now works as a consultant to brands, artists, foundations, and collectors. Among her clients is the legendary art publisher Cahiers d’Art, where she heads Commercial Partnerships.

Compelling is proudly in partnership with Cahiers d’Art.

Compelling is produced in collaboration with Cahiers d’Art, the iconic Paris-based art publisher founded in 1926, home of the Catalogue Raisonné of Picasso and most recently the Frank Gehry Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. At the heart of it's publishing program is the Cahiers d'Art Revue, one of the most significant and longest-standing annual art publications of the last century. In 2026, Cahiers d’Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of major publications, projects and exhibitions in collaboration with leading global institutions, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the MoMA in New York City and the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Visit Cahiers d’Art

Art direction by Eddie Harrop Studio
Website and Production by Story Ninety-Four
Filmed and recorded by Marque Page Studio

How do you launch a luxury beauty brand that remains absolutely true to its "love of the soil" DNA while navigating the brutal practicalities of industrial manufacturing?

In this bonus content, host Katy Wellesley Wesley speaks with Charlotte Bouygues, founder of the new beauty line Dix Hectares, about her journey to find "unobvious collaborators" and materials that would not compromise her vision. Dorothee Meilichzon was the fierce and talented designer she found. Charlotte details the challenging two-year quest for the perfect, marble-look lid. A seemingly small component that became the "bane of her existence" until the well-timed discovery of a brand new sustainable material.

The discussion reveals the tension between aesthetic goals and uncompromising ethical standards. You'll hear the dramatic moment when her designer threatened to walk away, a crisis that ultimately led to the discovery of a groundbreaking, sustainable bioresin.

• (00:00) - Collaboration between Unobvious Partners

Charlotte Bouygues: Founder of the regenerative skincare line Dix Hectares, and Chairwoman of Eutopia Estates, the Bouygues family’s wine group. She is a third-generation leader with a background in strategic management from Babson College and extensive experience in marketing and media, including roles at L’Oréal in New York and as Director of E-Commerce at TF1’s Aufeminin Group. Her current work focuses on building a purpose-led brand that connects soil health and beauty for a new vision of luxury.

Visit Dix Hectares

Katy Wellesley Wesley: With over 18 years of leadership across galleries, foundations, and startups, Katy has built a career shaped by curiosity and a drive to explore new ideas. She spent a decade at leading commercial galleries—first at Gagosian, then at Pace, where she was Director of Exhibitions in London. She went on to lead the Villa Lena Foundation in Italy as Director, before joining the founding team of ROKBOX, a pioneering environmentally focused art logistics startup, as Sales Director. After relocating to Paris six years ago, Katy developed a strong interest in the intersection of art and luxury. To deepen this focus, she recently completed an Executive Master’s in Luxury Management and Design Innovation, a joint program between ESSEC Business School and Parsons School of Design. She now works as a consultant to brands, artists, foundations, and collectors. Among her clients is the legendary art publisher Cahiers d’Art, where she heads Commercial Partnerships.

Compelling is proudly in partnership with Cahiers d’Art.

Compelling is produced in collaboration with Cahiers d’Art, the iconic Paris-based art publisher founded in 1926, home of the Catalogue Raisonné of Picasso and most recently the Frank Gehry Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. At the heart of it's publishing program is the Cahiers d'Art Revue, one of the most significant and longest-standing annual art publications of the last century. In 2026, Cahiers d’Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of major publications, projects and exhibitions in collaboration with leading global institutions, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the MoMA in New York City and the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Visit Cahiers d’Art

Art direction by Eddie Harrop Studio
Website and Production by Story Ninety-Four

How do you build a successful luxury brand that operates with a positive impact? 

Host Katy Wellesley Wesley sits down with entrepreneur Charlotte Bouygues, founder of the seasonal, regenerative skincare line, Dix Hectares. Charlotte's journey is a modern evolution of the powerful Bouygues family legacy, which began with the foundation of a global construction and infrastructure company and expanded into major French media (TF1) and telecoms.

Charlotte shares her unique career path, from sharpening her marketing skills at L'Oréal in New York and working in media at TF1, to joining the family’s wine businesses at Château Montrose. This experience ultimately inspired the creation of Dix Hectares, a beauty line uniquely rooted in sustainable agriculture and the rhythms of the seasons, using plants grown on a 10-hectare plot in the vineyard's heart.

The conversation delves into the concept of regenerative luxury, where Charlotte passionately discusses the power of soil health, noting it is the world's second-largest carbon sink. This philosophy, inspired by the patient, long-term vision of the wine industry, is a "new way of seeing luxury," demanding a commitment that transcends immediate returns.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Compelling

Charlotte Bouygues: Founder of the regenerative skincare line Dix Hectares, and Chairwoman of Eutopia Estates, the Bouygues family’s wine group. She is a third-generation leader with a background in strategic management from Babson College and extensive experience in marketing and media, including roles at L’Oréal in New York and as Director of E-Commerce at TF1’s Aufeminin Group. Her current work focuses on building a purpose-led brand that connects soil health and beauty for a new vision of luxury.

Visit Dix Hectares

Katy Wellesley Wesley: With over 18 years of leadership across galleries, foundations, and startups, Katy has built a career shaped by curiosity and a drive to explore new ideas. She spent a decade at leading commercial galleries—first at Gagosian, then at Pace, where she was Director of Exhibitions in London. She went on to lead the Villa Lena Foundation in Italy as Director, before joining the founding team of ROKBOX, a pioneering environmentally focused art logistics startup, as Sales Director. After relocating to Paris six years ago, Katy developed a strong interest in the intersection of art and luxury. To deepen this focus, she recently completed an Executive Master’s in Luxury Management and Design Innovation, a joint program between ESSEC Business School and Parsons School of Design. She now works as a consultant to brands, artists, foundations, and collectors. Among her clients is the legendary art publisher Cahiers d’Art, where she heads Commercial Partnerships.

Compelling is proudly in partnership with Cahiers d’Art.

Compelling is produced in collaboration with Cahiers d’Art, the iconic Paris-based art publisher founded in 1926, home of the Catalogue Raisonné of Picasso and most recently the Frank Gehry Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. At the heart of it's publishing program is the Cahiers d'Art Revue, one of the most significant and longest-standing annual art publications of the last century. In 2026, Cahiers d’Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of major publications, projects and exhibitions in collaboration with leading global institutions, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the MoMA in New York City and the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Visit Cahiers d’Art

Art direction by Eddie Harrop Studio
Website and Production by Story Ninety-Four

How do you twist an 85-year-old logo and have it generate a record number of customers in stores? 

This bonus discussion with Clément Boisseau, CEO of Maison BETC, dives into the genius of combining brand DNA with cultural timeliness. Using the iconic Lacoste crocodile as a case study, Clément reveals the strategy behind highly successful campaigns, including the one that replaced the logo with endangered species—an effort that generated "outstanding media exposure" and drove a record number of customers in stores. He explains the "magical recipe" of entwining the rational with the emotional and the power of finding a true universal symbol that transcends generations.

Clément Boisseau: Clément Boisseau is the CEO of Maison BETC, a luxury micro-network operating in Paris, New York, and Shanghai, and Global Chief Strategy Officer for the BETC Group. With a dual background in Humanities and Strategic Marketing, he has worked on landmark campaigns for brands including Lacoste, Chanel, and Dom Pérignon. He is a recognised expert in translating luxury heritage into authentic brand stories that resonate globally, serving as a Luxury Jury member at Cannes Lions.

Visit Maison BETC

Katy Wellesley Wesley: With over 18 years of leadership across galleries, foundations, and startups, Katy has built a career shaped by curiosity and a drive to explore new ideas. She spent a decade at leading commercial galleries—first at Gagosian, then at Pace, where she was Director of Exhibitions in London. She went on to lead the Villa Lena Foundation in Italy as Director, before joining the founding team of ROKBOX, a pioneering environmentally focused art logistics startup, as Sales Director. After relocating to Paris six years ago, Katy developed a strong interest in the intersection of art and luxury. To deepen this focus, she recently completed an Executive Master’s in Luxury Management and Design Innovation, a joint program between ESSEC Business School and Parsons School of Design. She now works as a consultant to brands, artists, foundations, and collectors. Among her clients is the legendary art publisher Cahiers d’Art, where she heads Commercial Partnerships.

Compelling is proudly in partnership with Cahiers d’Art.

Compelling is produced in collaboration with Cahiers d’Art, the iconic Paris-based art publisher founded in 1926, home of the Catalogue Raisonné of Picasso and most recently the Frank Gehry Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. At the heart of it's publishing program is the Cahiers d'Art Revue, one of the most significant and longest-standing annual art publications of the last century. In 2026, Cahiers d’Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of major publications, projects and exhibitions in collaboration with leading global institutions, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the MoMA in New York City and the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Visit Cahiers d’Art

Art direction by Eddie Harrop Studio
Website and Production by Story Ninety-Four

How does a luxury brand stay true to its heritage while constantly reinventing itself for a new generation?

This week on Compelling, host Katy Wellesley Wesley explores the dynamic intersection of art, culture, and commerce with Clément Boisseau, CEO of Maison BETC and Global Chief Strategy Officer of the BETC Group. A humanities scholar who transitioned from École Normale Supérieure to the world of advertising, and spent time at Chanel, Clément offers a unique perspective on luxury strategy.

He discusses his proprietary 'prosumer' research methodology—which uncovers predictive consumer mindsets 12 to 18 months in advance—and explains why a strategy focused purely on brand DNA is no longer enough. The conversation dissects the rising challenge of the luxury brand trust issue, where brands must show the reality of their production to justify their premium. Clément shares his insights on balancing brand scarcity with generosity, the necessity of consistency for new luxury brands like The Row, and how Maison BETC navigates the cultural specificities of Paris, New York, and Shanghai.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Compelling

Clément Boisseau: Clément Boisseau is the CEO of Maison BETC, a luxury micro-network operating in Paris, New York, and Shanghai, and Global Chief Strategy Officer for the BETC Group. With a dual background in Humanities and Strategic Marketing, he has worked on landmark campaigns for brands including Lacoste, Chanel, and Dom Pérignon. He is a recognised expert in translating luxury heritage into authentic brand stories that resonate globally, serving as a Luxury Jury member at Cannes Lions.

Visit Maison BETC

Katy Wellesley Wesley: With over 18 years of leadership across galleries, foundations, and startups, Katy has built a career shaped by curiosity and a drive to explore new ideas. She spent a decade at leading commercial galleries—first at Gagosian, then at Pace, where she was Director of Exhibitions in London. She went on to lead the Villa Lena Foundation in Italy as Director, before joining the founding team of ROKBOX, a pioneering environmentally focused art logistics startup, as Sales Director. After relocating to Paris six years ago, Katy developed a strong interest in the intersection of art and luxury. To deepen this focus, she recently completed an Executive Master’s in Luxury Management and Design Innovation, a joint program between ESSEC Business School and Parsons School of Design. She now works as a consultant to brands, artists, foundations, and collectors. Among her clients is the legendary art publisher Cahiers d’Art, where she heads Commercial Partnerships.

Compelling is proudly in partnership with Cahiers d’Art.

Compelling is produced in collaboration with Cahiers d’Art, the iconic Paris-based art publisher founded in 1926, home of the Catalogue Raisonné of Picasso and most recently the Frank Gehry Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. At the heart of it's publishing program is the Cahiers d'Art Revue, one of the most significant and longest-standing annual art publications of the last century. In 2026, Cahiers d’Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of major publications, projects and exhibitions in collaboration with leading global institutions, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the MoMA in New York City and the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Visit Cahiers d’Art

Art direction by Eddie Harrop Studio
Website and Production by Story Ninety-Four

What does a box of forgotten vintage slides reveal about our shared identity, and how do you transform a passion project into a viable global cultural phenomenon? 

Host Katy Wellesley Wesley sits down with visual artist, filmmaker, and founder of The Anonymous Project, Lee Shulman, to delve into his journey from buying a random box of Kodachrome images to curating an archive of over a million slides.

Lee discusses the emotional content and universality of these private moments, exploring the delicate balance between the "sacred" family snapshot and public art. They explore the creative strategy behind large-scale installations like The House at Arles and commercial partnerships. In a market where high-end art sales are contracting while the mid-market is gaining momentum, Lee shares his pragmatic philosophy on "art as a business," collaboration, and why curatorial vision is the true genius behind anonymous images.

• (00:00) - Introduction to Compelling

Lee Shulman: Lee Shulman is the Founder and Creative Director of The Anonymous Project, containing nearly a million Kodachrome slides. A London-born, Paris-based visual artist and award-winning filmmaker, his expertise lies in curating and recontextualising amateur photography through immersive installations, books, and collaborative art projects. His recent work includes the collaboration Being There with Omar Victor Diop and directing the documentary film I Am Martin Parr.

Visit the Anonymous Project

Katy Wellesley Wesley: With over 18 years of leadership across galleries, foundations, and startups, Katy has built a career shaped by curiosity and a drive to explore new ideas. She spent a decade at leading commercial galleries—first at Gagosian, then at Pace, where she was Director of Exhibitions in London. She went on to lead the Villa Lena Foundation in Italy as Director, before joining the founding team of ROKBOX, a pioneering environmentally focused art logistics startup, as Sales Director. After relocating to Paris six years ago, Katy developed a strong interest in the intersection of art and luxury. To deepen this focus, she recently completed an Executive Master’s in Luxury Management and Design Innovation, a joint program between ESSEC Business School and Parsons School of Design. She now works as a consultant to brands, artists, foundations, and collectors. Among her clients is the legendary art publisher Cahiers d’Art, where she heads Commercial Partnerships.

Compelling is proudly in partnership with Cahiers d’Art.

Compelling is produced in collaboration with Cahiers d’Art, the iconic Paris-based art publisher founded in 1926, home of the Catalogue Raisonné of Picasso and most recently the Frank Gehry Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. At the heart of it's publishing program is the Cahiers d'Art Revue, one of the most significant and longest-standing annual art publications of the last century. In 2026, Cahiers d’Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of major publications, projects and exhibitions in collaboration with leading global institutions, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the MoMA in New York City and the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Visit Cahiers d’Art

Art direction by Eddie Harrop Studio
Website and Production by Story Ninety-Four

What does it take to transform a wild dream into a thriving slow luxury hospitality business? In this episode, host Katy Wellesley Wesley speaks with her friend and former colleague, Lena Evstafieva, founder of the extraordinary Villa Lena.

Lena, a former director at Pace Gallery, shares how she leveraged her creative background to build a hospitality brand unlike any other. They discuss the ambitious decision to combine a hotel with a multidisciplinary artist residency, the challenges of fostering organic collaboration, and the importance of hiring the right team. Lena reveals how Villa Lena's growth was driven by a community of creative "pollinators" who spread the word organically.

This conversation is a compelling look at how art, nature, and community can come together to create a powerful, enduring legacy, especially at a time when the hospitality industry is projected to reach $7.5 trillion by 2029, with a strong trend towards experience-based travel.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Compelling

Lena Evstafieva: A former curator at the Garage Museum and a director at Pace Gallery in London, Lena Evstafieva is the visionary founder of Villa Lena Hotel and Foundation. Leveraging her extensive network and creative background, she transformed a family-owned Tuscan estate into a unique hotel and a not-for-profit artist residency. She is also an art collector with a focus on supporting emerging and female artists.

Visit Villa Lena

Katy Wellesley Wesley: With over 18 years of leadership across galleries, foundations, and startups, Katy has built a career shaped by curiosity and a drive to explore new ideas. She spent a decade at leading commercial galleries—first at Gagosian, then at Pace, where she was Director of Exhibitions in London. She went on to lead the Villa Lena Foundation in Italy as Director, before joining the founding team of ROKBOX, a pioneering environmentally focused art logistics startup, as Sales Director. After relocating to Paris six years ago, Katy developed a strong interest in the intersection of art and luxury. To deepen this focus, she recently completed an Executive Master’s in Luxury Management and Design Innovation, a joint program between ESSEC Business School and Parsons School of Design. She now works as a consultant to brands, artists, foundations, and collectors. Among her clients is the legendary art publisher Cahiers d’Art, where she heads Commercial Partnerships.

Compelling is proudly in partnership with Cahiers d’Art.

Compelling is produced in collaboration with Cahiers d’Art, the iconic Paris-based art publisher founded in 1926, home of the Catalogue Raisonné of Picasso and most recently the Frank Gehry Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. At the heart of it's publishing program is the Cahiers d'Art Revue, one of the most significant and longest-standing annual art publications of the last century. In 2026, Cahiers d’Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of major publications, projects and exhibitions in collaboration with leading global institutions, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the MoMA in New York City and the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Visit Cahiers d’Art

Art direction by Eddie Harrop Studio
Website and Production by Story Ninety-Four