TOILETMILES PAPERALDRIDGE Polaroid Sessions at Sotheby’s

This April, Miles Aldridge took over Sotheby’s, the London auction house. Aldridge brought his studio to New Bond Street, adorning the auctioneers with an assortment of props (feather boas, tea cups, retro telephones) and a specially designed set.

Raising money for The Elton John AIDS Foundation, Aldridge invited the public to pose for a polaroid session (in the style of Andy Warhol) for a once-in-a-lifetime shoot. Priced at £150 per image, Aldridge shot 120 polaroids in four days, with all proceeds going to the Foundation. Late last year, Aldridge had installed this same pop-up studio in Windsor, when he was asked to photograph Sir Elton John at his home, after being named ‘Icon of the Year’ (2024) by TIME Magazine.

At the Polaroid sessions in London, Aldridge exhibited a selection of works at Sotheby’s throughout this period, while also transforming their Story Café into an immersive experience of cinematic surrealism. The Café will remain open until the 2nd of May.

This Sotheby’s take-over coincided with the launch of TOILETMILES PAPERALDRIDGE, the third edition of TOILETPAPER magazine founded by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan (pictured in the Polaroid above) and photographer, Pierpaolo Ferrari.