AXA Art, the world’s premiere art insurance specialist, announced today its partnership with R 20th Century Design, leading experts in the mid- century modern movement, to present innovative artist/craftsman Wendell Castle at its VIP lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach 2007. Mr. Castle will be on hand to meet and engage with visitors at the AXA Art booth in the V.I.P. Lounge in the Miami Beach Convention Center Wednesday, December 5 beginning at 5 pm.

The theme in the AXA Art lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach will be “The Thrill of Collecting.” Amsterdam-based Tom Postma Design has been charged with bringing to life AXA Art’s vision, in which pieces from Castle’s Molar Group will be utilized courtesy of R 20th Century Design. This marks the first time Wendell Castle’s masterpieces in Technicolor plastic will be on display at Art Basel Miami Beach. AXA Art’s visual presentation this year underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to the medium, as evident in their 2007 publication, Plastic Art – A Precarious Success Story. Objets d’art by Gaetano Pesce will also be on view, along with classic Panton chairs.

“Our collaboration with AXA Art on this project is part of an ongoing dialogue about the importance of preserving iconic 20th century design,” comments Evan Snyderman, co-principal of R 20th Century Design. “AXA leads the field in recognizing the value and scarcity of post war design made in plastic and we are thrilled by their request to highlight our collection from Wendell Castle — the only American designer of the post-war era to work and innovate in this material. To this day, the plastic collection by Wendell Castle continues to inform and inspire contemporary designers. As art collectors place important design in their collections with greater and greater frequency, AXA Art continues to pave the way in the preservation, insurance and archiving of such pieces.”

Christiane Fischer, CEO of AXA Art USA, offers this statement: “The Thrill of Collecting mirrors the totality of the collectors' environment. More and more, we see our clients integrating significant pieces of design into their collections. They see – within their own personal surroundings – no distinction between art, craft, and design. R 20th Century has been on the forefront of championing mid-century modern works, representing, along with Wendell Castle, some of the most important artists of that era. AXA Art Insurance is very pleased that R 20th Century has enabled us to create a complete aesthetic space dedicated to the plastic arts at Art Basel Miami Beach. We're certain visitors to our lounge will enjoy both meeting Mr. Castle as well as the opportunity to sit amidst his work."

Wendell Castle is the recipient of the Modernism/Brooklyn Museum 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award.

About AXA Art Insurance
AXA Art serves a wide range of clients, from first-time purchasers to the world's most respected collectors, as well as individual artists, museums, galleries, corporations and public exhibitions. AXA Art insures objects in every active area of serious collecting, that includes paintings, drawings and sculpture to rare stamps, antique furnishings and vintage vehicles. In the US, AXA Art maintains offices in New York (headquarters), Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia and New England. The company's international presence is manifested by offices in Brussels, Cologne, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich, and across Canada. For more information visit www.axa-art.com

About R 20th Century Design
R 20th Century Design represents a distinguished group of vintage and contemporary designers whose work is among the most important, innovative and finely crafted of their time. Since 1997, principals Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman have garnered international acclaim for their groundbreaking exhibitions and publications that promote a closer study of design and for their commitment to preserving history through their extensive archives, library and private collection. Consistently, Meyers and Snyderman exhibit an extraordinary acumen for discovering and bringing designers to the forefront of the rapidly escalating design market. R is currently developing installations and publications on artists such as Wendell Castle, Joaquim Tenreiro, Sergio Rodrigues, Greta Magnusson Grossman, Hugo França, Paula Hayes, and Jeff Zimmerman. In addition to the exhibition program and showroom in New York, Meyers and Snyderman offer the work of R designers internationally, contribute widely to publications, and lecture frequently about design. Visit www.r20thcentury.com.

Contacts:
Rosalind (Roz) Joseph
Communications | Relationship Marketing
Telephone: (718) 710-5181
E-mail: rjoseph@axa-canada.com

Sara Valentine
Telephone: (347) 576-4638
E-mail: wordygurl@earthlink.net