Don't miss "The Calendar Story", the MaGMA Collection at Sotheby's France

Collector Guillaume Lévy-Lambert in front of a reproduction of the Roy Lichtenstein painting that changed his life.

Maybe a painting can save a life. 

One changed mine.

-MaGMA

Above all else, The Calendar Story is a deeply personal story, a love story. It recounts the tale of how Guillaume Lévy-Lambert and Mark Goh's lives were irrevocably changed when they stumbled upon Roy Lichenstein's Desk Calendar at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and were struck by two dates: May 21, 1962, the exact date of Lévy-Lambert's birth, and October 26, Goh's birthday, which is inexplicably circled with an arrow pointing at it. Feeling as if they had just won the $100 million lottery, the newly acquainted companions interpreted this fateful encounter as a divine sign.

For the next 15 years, businessman Guillaume Lévy-Lambert and urban planner Mark Goh, who are based in Singapore, jointly collected over 300 works of contemporary Asian art. The Calendar Story is the culmination of this adventurous collecting. Each work is accompanied by an intimate anecdote in English and French from Goh and Levy-Lambert's lives. Rather than being distracted by these stories, the vignettes add another dimension to this exceptional exhibition. Mark Goh's wish is that "The Calendar Story will have the power in each of its intriguing episodes to extend what has been a personal narrative, into a compelling story of life, love, fate and the quest for truth that will touch you." It certainly touched me when I attended the pre-opening party last night.

Highlights of The Calendar Story include Mask No. 6 and Untitled (Mr Dai) by Chinese artist Zeng Fanzhi. There are works by other Chinese artists, including Wang Guangyi, Yang Shaobin, Yue Minjun and Zhou Chunya, and Indonesian artists Agus Suwage and Nyoman Masriadi.

Insider's tip: MaGMA collector Guillaume Lévy-Lambert will give guided visits and answer questions at 4:00 pm every day. Don't miss this rare opportunity!

The Calendar Story (MaGMA Collection) - Free admission from January 6-18, 2014, closed January 12.
Sotheby's France
76 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris