Translated by Bethszabee Garner

Yves Derai: If you could take a painting off the wall of a museum and hang it in your living room, which one would it be?

Peri Cochin: Gustave Courbet's L'Origine du monde, without hesitation. It would make people uncomfortable, and that amuses me. It would also provoke debate.

Yves Derai: Which master would you have liked to be the model for?

P.C.: That's a tough one. Picasso, of course... or Matisse! Yes, Matisse. Especially if it's a portrait.

Yves Derai: Which painting would you splurge on?

P.C.: A Miró. It moves me, it makes me dream. Between you and me, I've already splurged on one, but a small one. A small Miró...

Yves Derai: Which city is the most arty?

P.C.: Surprisingly, I'd say Paris. It has become a stronghold of art again over the last ten years. Most of the major gallery owners are there, we have great art fairs, and I think we've overtaken London and Berlin. Among the rising stars, Athens is making huge strides.

Yves Derai: Are there any artists who inspire you in your work?

P.C.: Yes. A choreographer like Alexander Ekman, for example. His Swan Lake moved me deeply. His dancers had their feet in the water and all their movements caused splashes of water which, when well lit, amplified the beauty of the scenes. I like to be surprised and I like to surprise in my work. But here, in a very classical theme, there was something unexpected.

Yves Derai: Is street art the latest contemporary revolution in art?

P.C.: No. In any case, I'm not sensitive to it. I prefer Anish Kapoor to Banksy.

Yves Derai: So, is Banksy a fraud or a genius?

P.C.: He's a true artist... and a true businessman! But so are Damien Hirst and others.

Yves Derai: What is your favorite museum in the world? 

P.C.: The Getty Center in Los Angeles. Both for Richard Meyer's architecture and for the collections. The higher you go in the museum, the more you feel like you're rising. I also love the Louvre Abu Dhabi. This small emirate has been very ingenious in introducing its own culture there. For example, by dedicating a room to sacred books, the Bible, Torah, and Quran.

Yves Derai: Do you easily walk into a gallery you don't know?

P.C.: Of course! Nothing intimidates me.

Yves Derai: Is the table an art?

P.C.: Obviously. Even if I don't like the expression “table arts.” It's dusty.

Yves Derai: A chef? 

P.C.: Yes as well.

Yves Derai: Isn't he a craftsman?

P.C.: For me, art is creativity and talent. Some exceptional craftsmen, such as glassblowers, can be considered artists.

Yves Derai: Where would you take your loved one for lunch to surprise them?

P.C.: I'd take them for a picnic by the water with some delicious chicken rillettes and black radishes.

Yves Derai: Surprising, indeed...

P.C.: Yes. At restaurants, I am sometimes captivated by what is served on my plate, but rarely by the table itself. That's why I wanted to create Waww La Table.

An article written by Yves Derai, featured in issue 9 of OniriQ magazine.