First auction of the Paris National Opera

The Paris Opera and the AROP are delighted to join the Sotheby’s auction house for an exceptional event, “Auction for action, Bid for creation!” The sale will be held on Monday 30 January 2023 at Palais Garnier, for the benefit of creation and the sharing of art with all.

An Exceptional Sale

The Paris Opera is preparing for the first auction in its history, “Auction for action, bid for creation!”, the proceeds of which will support the Opera and the production of new shows. This exceptional event will bring together works and collectibles from all eras and styles, all generously donated by artists, collectors and gallery owners.

An online auction will take place from 23 to 31 January 2023. Following this, a dinner will be held at the Grand Foyer of Palais Garnier on 30 January 2023, where the most prestigious lots will be sold by Mr Pierre Mothes, an auctioneer at Sotheby’s, who will preside over the evening.

A committed Opera

This sale is part of the initiative “Mon Opéra Responsable et Engagé #MORE”, which reiterates the Paris Opera’s commitment to increase its involvement in the community, by encouraging and preserving the creative industry for future generations to come.

Creation is the true purpose of the Opera and the artistic community behind it. It is the beating heart of the institution and is the force that has driven its team for more than 350 years. The creative process makes it possible to manifest, protect and enrich artistic and technical savoir-faire.

In order to reach all types of audiences, it is essential to create new works that are relevant to our times. These must echo the questions of today’s societies and reflect the diverse variety of individuals who make them up. Creating such works makes it possible to speak to new generations and to those who are unfamiliar with both the opera or dance. Now, approximately one-third of each season’s programme at the Paris Opera is made up of new shows. The Opera would like to maintain this high level of creation thanks to the #MORE initiative.

With the proceeds from this sale, the Paris Opera will continue to develop the access to shows for all audiences: previews for young people to new shows (approximately 25,000 seats per year), youth subscriptions, My First Time at the Opera evenings, Family subscriptions, 10 Months of School and Opera educational program developed in the Ile-de-France region which will hopefully be extended to further regions.

More information

En savoir plus sur A committed Opera

More about the auction

Contacts

Opéra national de Paris – Arop : v.encheres@arop.operadeparis.fr

Sotheby’s : Sophie Dufresne et Claire Jehl – sophie.dufresne@sothebys.com, claire.jehl@sothebys.com