Wednesday 09/27/2023, we celebrated the opening of the art exhibition of Thierry Léde, during a cocktail reception in the company of our fabulous clientele and friends at our Maxwell-Baynes Christie’s agency in La Rochelle.
Angélique Sawtell, commercial director of the La Rochelle agency, opened the evening with a speech :
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this wonderful event hosted by Maxwell-Baynes, a Christie’s affiliate. Allow me to introduce you to Karin Maxwell and Michael Baynes, renowned for their expertise in selling vineyards in the Bordeaux region. It is thanks to their outstanding quality of work and dedication that we are proud to be affiliated with Christie’s today.
It’s always incredibly exciting when Christie’s International Real Estate expands into a new area or city, as it signifies prosperity and a growing interest in the global real estate market. La Rochelle, with its islands and stunning coastline, has become highly attractive to people from all corners of the world. It is our duty to preserve the traditions and remarkable architecture created by those who came before us.
I moved here when I was 18 and fell in love with the way of life. Twenty years on, I feel extremely blessed to work with such an exceptional team. Our culture is rooted in honesty, trust, and reliability, and our goal is to help every member of our team, whom we consider a family, reach their highest potential. This is achieved by assisting others. When we help others, we bring happiness, hope, and solutions, taking away difficulties, stress, and worries. As leaders in the real estate industry, it is our duty to set the perfect example of this.
I would like to express my gratitude to my team and praise them for their unwavering perseverance. Without each and every one of you, we would be nothing. I also want to thank Karin and Michael for believing in me and extend my appreciation to all of you who trust us with some of the most important decisions of your lives.
Christie’s is the world’s leading auction house, founded in 1766 and now privately owned by François Pinault. It wasn’t until 1987 that Christie’s ventured into property sales and later established the International Real Estate branch, of which we are fortunate to be a part. Founded by the same family, and driven by a strong desire to uphold true values and traditions, our collaboration with Christie’s auction house has never been stronger.
This is why we have the immense privilege of welcoming some extraordinary members of their team here tomorrow. Four auctioneers will be joining us from Paris to estimate the value of your objects, art, jewelry, handbags, furniture, and, of course, we hope to uncover some hidden treasures. Camille De Forester, one of the auctioneers, who is with us this evening, will be delighted to discuss this with you throughout the evening. Please do join us tomorrow, and don’t hesitate to invite your friends and family; they are all welcome. If you have an object that you would like to know the value of, now is the perfect time to find out.
Tonight, we have the privilege of being surrounded by delicious food, courtesy of The Ginger and the Four Sergents, there is some excellent champagne, so please help yourselves. I am very touched that my younger brother is here to play the guitar for us this evening. And last but by no means least, allow me to introduce you to Thierre Léde, our in-house artist. I am thrilled to share his work with you. Its simplicity and sensitivity left a lasting impression on us when we had to select an artist for this event. The message is clear and bold, just like the artwork, and it perfectly aligns with how we choose to work. As we reside on this earth, may we leave behind a beautiful place—one filled with compassion and respect, not just material wealth.
Thierry Ledé is a passionate and committed artist, traveling the world and its coastlines in search of marine debris, whose dangerous beauty and preciousness he freezes through photography.
Its message: raise public awareness of ocean pollution, the fragility of the ecosystem and the importance of everyone’s environmental responsibility.
It is a tribute that Thierry Ledé pays to the ocean. Beyond photography, there is a much more complete and original concept that lies behind Thierry’s art… To find out more, we strongly invite you to come and discover more by going to the Maxwell-Baynes agency of La Rochelle, located 27 Quai Valin.
This opening was for us a wonderful moment of sharing and exchange around art, Christie’s watchword. Many thanks to Thierry Ledé for agreeing to decorate our walls with his works which we particularly like, both for the form and the content. We are happy and honored to be able to exhibit these until 11/15/2023 at our Maxwell-Baynes agency in La Rochelle.
We look forward to repeating this friendly moment during a future event. Thank you to our partners The 4 Sergents, Ginger, Galanga, Koya, and Raisin et Bulles for delighting our taste buds throughout the evening, and to Alastair Sawtell for punctuating the entire evening with his guitar.
See you soon,
The Maxwell-Baynes Team