Jean-Paul LUBLINER jpeg file 2048x1538 1,9Mo Chinese ideograms sparkle in phosphorescent cascades and, associated with the light beams that structure the image, create a triumphal avenue leading to the Eiffel Tower. The photograph, taken by Lubliner during the Year of China in France and modified by a recent intervention by Slimane Ismaili Alaoui alias Nassyo, thus causes tongues of fire to fall around the tower in a mise-en-scène as spectacular as it is mystical. The photograph reminds us that, beyond the context of the 2004 celebrations, the Tower speaks all the languages of the world.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.