AMTD announced this acquisition as part of the commitment to step up its overall presence in France, including a plan to move the headquarters of The Art Newspaper to Paris.
The deal was inked a year after the integration of L'Officiel’s global media business into AMTD. Dr Calvin Choi (Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres), AMTD Group’s Chairman, as well as Dr Andrew Yuen were invited by the French government to attend the Choose France Summit in Versailles in person. L'Officiel, a 102-year-old French publication, currently reaching over 100 million users worldwide, represents one of the oldest fashion media of the world. With its distinct French voice, L'Officiel stands for elegance and sophistication across the world and it has long been regarded as one of the world’s bibles of fashion. AMTD has chosen France to establish its international headquarters for AMTD Digital Media and Entertainment Group, recognizing France as a global country in the heart of Europe.
The Art Newspaper, an online and print publication that covers the international art world, was founded in 1990 by Umberto Allemandi and Anna Somers Cocks on the original concept of Il Giornale dell'Arte, founded 1983. The Art Newspaper International Edition has offices in London and New York. Its unrivalled news and events coverage is fed by a network of sister editions, which together have more than 50 correspondents working in more than 30 countries, with editorial offices in Paris, Moscow and Shanghai. In 2014, Inna Bazhenova became the owner of The Art Newspaper International Edition and the licensed network in China, Greece, France and Russia.
Image : Dr. Calvin Choi and Inna Bazhenova