PARIS.- Acquired by the Swedish collector Staffan Ahrenberg in 2011, Cahiers d’Art is a legendary publishing house, gallery, and magazine founded in 1926 by Christian Zervos in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Cahiers d’Art editions are among the most remarkable publications of the 20th century, and are sought after by art collectors and book collectors worldwide.

By 1960, Zervos had published 97 issues of the Cahiers d’Art magazine and more than 50 books, including monographs on El Greco, Matisse, Man Ray, and African and Mesopotamian Art, as well as collections of poems by Paul Éluard and André Breton. The most famous Cahiers d’Art publication to date is the Zervos Picasso Catalogue, which includes over 16,000 paintings and drawings by the artist. These 33 volumes are commonly called The Zervos and remain the definitive reference to Picasso’s work.

On the occasion of its re-launch in October 2012, Ahrenberg has published the first edition of the magazine since 1960, in collaboration with Hans Ulrich Obrist and Sam Keller as his co-editors, as well as a new book on Alexander Calder.

The first magazine features works by Ellsworth Kelley, Cyprien Gaillard, Sarah Morris, Adrian Villar Rojas, and the architecture of Oscar Niemeyer. Following the long tradition of outstanding contributors to Cahiers d’Art such as Ernest Hemingway and Samuel Beckett, the first issue features articles and interviews by Tadao Ando, Obrist, and Yve-Alain Bois, among others. Cahiers d’Art maintains the values and practices associated with the legacy of Christian Zervos, who built direct relationships with many of the most important artists of the 20th century, and insisted always on the highest standards of production quality.

Arhrenberg has also published the book Calder by Matter, organized in collaboration with the Calder Foundation. Photographer and graphic designer Herbert Matter, a close friend of Alexander Calder, had the privilege of photographing the artist’s sculptures at different stages of their realization and capturing Calder at work in his studios and in his Roxbury, Connecticut, home. Calder by Matter offers a new perspective on the sculptor’s life and work, presenting over 300 photographs of the artist and his family, many of which are previously unpublished.

“Cahier d'Art is a dream project that we have enthusiastically committed time and capital to. It's the same investment that one would make to a high-tech startup, but on high quality paper as an object beyond trends. We have a lot of fun putting together each issue, which is very unique, and rely on our instincts on what will speak to our audience,” says Ahrenberg.

Available in a Standard Edition as well as a Collector’s Edition (limited edition of 250 copies), Calder by Matter includes original essays by esteemed art critic and Calder biographer Jed Perl, Calder Foundation President and Calder grandson Alexander S. C. Rower (editor of the publication), and Matter student and colleague John T. Hill (designer of the publication).

Born in Sweden, Staffan Ahrenberg maintains a long family tradition of collecting art. His father, Theodor (‘Teto’) Ahrenberg (1912–89), built one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in northern Europe, including a significant number of works by Picasso, Matisse, and Le Corbusier. Ahrenberg began his career in film, having produced features including Johnny Mnemonic (directed by Robert Longo and starring Keanu Reeves), and The Quiet American (starring Michael Caine, who received an Academy Award nomination for his role).

In 2011, Staffan Ahrenberg acquired the legendary publishing house and gallery, Cahiers d'Art, and the rights to all of its publications, including the 33 Volume Zervos Picasso Catalogue.

Ahrenberg has assembled a world-class team to revive Cahiers d’Art, including co-editors Sam Keller, Director of the Beyeler Foundation and former Director of Art Basel, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, renowned art historian and Director of International Projects at the Serpentine Gallery. The company has opened an additional gallery space dedicated to editions at 15 rue du Dragon and has prepared a full slate of publishing projectsincluding the continuation of the Cahiers d'Art magazine, catalogues raisonnés, standard and limited edition books, and prints. Each project is the result of direct collaboration with the artists represented.