A pack of leather octopuses, mohair whales and velvet St. Bernards has settled among the classical sculptures of the Petit Palais. German artist Cosima von Bonin's installation 'Dollys & Beaux' is on view with free admission through October 25, presented by Petzel, Gaga and Galerie Neu as part of Art Basel Paris' public program.

Animals have long populated von Bonin's practice, and here she renders marine creatures and dogs in fabric with distinctly human attitudes. The oversized, slouching creatures come off as endearing and faintly ridiculous at once, their personalities sharpened by theatrical accessories — tartan textiles and silk scarves. Keeping the museum's own sculptures in place alongside the textile figures produces unexpected encounters across the gallery, including the visual joke of a plush whale occupying a room built for the formal display of art.

Von Bonin works with found objects and familiar pop-cultural imagery, using humor to probe social relationships and the conventions that surround them. A series of velvet sea scallops sits near the museum's own displays — a nudge, given their proximity to a space of consumption, at the work's own origins.

The menagerie was originally commissioned by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for the LOEWE Fall/Winter 2026 runway show during Paris Fashion Week, before being dressed for its museum debut with new accessories. Pieces such as Dolly 1 (nappa octopus version, 2026) show the artist's continuing interest in softness as a sculptural language — enlarged googly-eyed plush forms made to be contemplated rather than instantly consumed.