Mathieu Lehanneur (b. 1974) - Lot 663

Mathieu Lehanneur (b. 1974) Official torch of the Olympic Games, Paris 2024. In rolled steel in two parts, the upper part is decorated with the openwork Olympic Games logo surmounted by the engraved legend "PARIS 2024" resting on the Olympic rings; the shiny lower part is partially corrugated. Without gas cartridge, in cardboard shipping tube stamped with gold logo. Slight traces of use, otherwise perfect condition. Length: 70cm With official torchbearer's outfit, the jersey decorated with the logo surmounted by the legend "Relais de la flamme olympique - Paris 2024", the pants also signed "Relais de la flamme - Paris 2024". Provenance: one of the 11,000 torchbearers. As in 1992, when the iconic French designer Philippe Starck was chosen to design the torch for the Albertville Olympic Games, the organizing committee of the Paris 2024 Games chose Mathieu Lehanneur, a young and famous French designer, to design this symbol, a vector for the values carried by the Paris 2024 Games. Its president, Tony Estanguet, describes the principles that went into its creation: "Mathieu Lehanneur drew his inspiration from three decisive markers: Equality, found in its perfect symmetry; Water, evoked by the effects of relief and light; and Soothing, finally, with the purity of its shape and rounded edges." Mathieu Lehanneur: "Designing the Torch of the Games is a designer's dream. It's a once-in-a-lifetime dream, like a miraculous encounter with History. As ritualistic as it is magical, the Torch is a mythical object. A symbol of cohesion and sharing, it is the real key to the Games. It will travel thousands of kilometers, passed from hand to hand, on land and sea. For Paris 2024, and for the first time in its history, it plays on perfect symmetry to better speak to us of equality. I wanted it to be extremely pure, iconic and almost essential. As simple as a hyphen and as fluid as a flame..." Arcelor Mittal manufactured 2,000 of the Paris 2024 torch from recycled and renewable steel.