Interview with Hugues Taittinger, Co-founder of Arteïa

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you took part in Arteïa’s adventure?

Born August 26th, 1954, I have a Master CPA that subsequently became Master HEC, where I then became ready to join the Taittinger Family Group.

At 40, after nearly 20 years in the family organization where I held various progressive positions I became, among several other roles, Vice President of CFT (family holding), Chairman of Eurosit, Sodery, Administrator of Champagne Taittinger, Concorde Hotels, Hotel Lutetia, Deville and others. I decided to leave the group and to steer myself towards the takeover of firms with different business partners.

As I am an entrepreneur I never stop acquiring, participating, and taking part in business projects that I identify with and are close to my philosophy and ideals. I like challenges and taking risks, and enjoy diving into new projects. Incidentally, I am also a sport car enthusiast, former race driver (3 years in prototype sport, 3 years in historical F1 on Surtees T16 and Ligier JS 11 | 15) and a passionate collector of 1970s motorcycles.

In addition and above all, I am a father. I educated and instilled in my two daughters, Inès and Grace, this entrepreneurial spirit and I like to keep this sense of family spirit in my business approach as well. I am supported as always by my second wife Marie, who joins me and bolsters me in my choice of projects, as well as participating actively and directly herself, as in the case for our Thaillywood Foundation (Artist residency in Thailand) or the Arteïa project.

Since the early 2000s I have actively participated in the takeover of firms in various sectors and fields with different partners:

- From 1999 to 2009 I took over from Vivendi « La Compagnie de Formation » (set of French schools including the Pigier group, ISCOM and others), then, with great difficulty, we kept in the position of Leader and the first French training group.

- In 2005 I participated in a Telephony company, Toledo, that later became IP / Nexia of which I am currently President.

- Made investments in a large number of various Private Equity (Cambodia, Energy, real estate, transport …).

- In 2017, I bought a Parisian office building to transform it into hotel accommodation, and I would like further this beautiful concept in the near future.

- Finally in 2017/2018, takeover of A French Cosmetics company Giselle Delorme International.

After these many years of experience in business ventures, creation and research participation, I met in 2015 with Philippe Gellman to study a resumption of a business listed on the stock market. This operation was unable to be completed, but my relationship with Philippe grew.

Our shared passion for Art, shared also by my wife Marie, drew us closer and eventually Philippe introduced us to Marek Zabicki and the Arteïa project. Marek’s experience and expertise in this sector convinced us immediately.

The idea of ​​a platform made by collectors for collectors was slowly taking shape, and I quickly became a founding investor involved in the company’s board of directors.

Arteïa now has its place in the art market and is a platform worked on by a team of 20 computer engineers and developers for over a year, benefiting from the latest technologies and utilizing the highest security level for the product (blockchain, absolute security of anonymous and private accounts).

For the clients, Arteïa is a fun and easy tool, developed by collectors for collectors to better manage their works (inventory, rankings, insurance, invoice, dimensions, weight, storage location, loans, sales).

In the near future, we will be able to exchange, sell or loan certain pieces and then increase and develop our own collections.

What does the absence of intermediaries add to the world of art transactions?

Intermediaries will always be necessary and requested, their great experiences, their organization and their network are necessary to the field.

The galleries will also be able to take advantage of Arteïa to manage their artists and their works and will appreciate seeing the secondary art market best-listed and more active.

For all those passionate about art, like myself, we will still need to stroll into galleries, discover, and take time to appreciate the works visually with the required time.

It will be the same for the « Art Advisor » that will see in Arteïa a powerful, secure and essential tool, to better advise their collector clients.

With the help of the Arteïa tool the artists will be able to manage their work productions, their sales, their loans, and to know at any time the locations of their artwork. The blockchain will prevent copies or non- certified reproduction of works or information.

The tedious and administrative follow-ups will be greatly simplified since each work will have its page with all the required information (the location, insurance, consignee, travel protection fund, loan, sale, invoice, insurance, preparation for exhibition fair or galleries …) followed, secure and validated by the blockchain.

Artists will also be able to show all their production and works for sale through an iPad or phone and quickly send quality photos to interested collectors, galleries or others.

The auction houses will also be always inescapable in to best present, in the World of Art, the greatest artists and their major works.

What kind of value will the token economy bring to the art market?

Regarding the token value and the ICO, I think it is the best way to quickly develop a project by a new contribution of liquidity.

In addition, more and more young people from around the world are joining the token and are waiting for new ICO proposals to invest in.

Arteïa’s offer is of interest to young people and to big investors alike who believe in the art market, its digitalization, security (Blockchain) and the planned evolution of the company on a buoyant market.

They will participate in a finalized project that seems to them innovative, inevitable and essential in the future.

For Arteïa, tokens will surely become a guarantee currency, in loans, exchanges, and even purchases of art pieces and collections.

The Arteïa token will then be a strong part of the project and if it develops as advertised and announced, the evolution of the token will follow and the buyers will benefit from the dynamics of our organization and the art market.

We believe Arteïa is a revolutionary tool bound for great things.

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