Daniel Humm, the chef behind Eleven Madison Park, has curated a selection of artworks for Sotheby's Contemporary Curated sale, drawing parallels between composing a meal and assembling an exhibition. In an interview with CULTURED, Humm discusses his approach, which was influenced by a transformative encounter with Claude Monet's Water Lilies at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris, and his selections include works by Roni Horn, Alex Katz, Keith Haring, and Sarah Crowner.
This collaboration matters because it bridges the culinary and visual art worlds, highlighting how a non-traditional curator can bring a fresh perspective to the auction market. Humm's emphasis on rhythm, stillness, and shared experience in curation reflects broader trends in experiential dining and art collecting, potentially attracting new audiences to Sotheby's sales and underscoring the growing intersection of food, art, and lifestyle.