An unprecedented raffle will allow you to try your luck with just over 100 euros and win a Picasso, while also supporting international research against Alzheimer’s.
How does the Picasso raffle organized in Paris work?
A painting by Pablo Picasso valued at over 1 million dollars will be awarded through a charity lottery in Paris. The initiative, promoted by a French foundation, aims to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research.
On April 14, at Christie’s Paris, the winner of Teate de Femme, an oil painting from 1941 depicting a deformed female head in ash tones, will be drawn. Tickets, sold online, cost 100 (116 dollars) and the maximum number is set at 120,000.
If all tickets are sold, the total collection will reach 12 million euros (14 million dollars). Of this amount, about 1 million euros (1.1 million dollars) will be allocated to Opera Gallery, the owner of the artwork. However, if sales do not cover the cost of the painting, buyers will be refunded.
What goals does the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation support?
The Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, founded in 2004, is the main funder in France of studies on this neurodegenerative disease. The organization supports clinical projects and postgraduate scholarships, aiming to fill a therapeutic gap that persists despite decades of research.
After the lottery, the foundation will launch a broad call for new scientific programs in Europe, the United States, and Canada. In this way, the Paris event becomes a catalyst for initiatives on an international scale, far beyond the single prize offered.
Who conceived the project of lotteries with Picasso’s works?
The idea comes from French television producer Peri Cochin, who was inspired by the fundraising events organized by her mother more than ten years ago. Unlike those exclusive evenings, she chose the web to open participation to anyone in the world.
After reaching out to the Fondazione Picasso in the 2010s, leveraging personal ties with the family, Cochin obtained full support for the project. Additionally, collaboration with galleries and institutions ensured the availability of prominent works.
In a statement released in the past, Claude Picasso (who passed away in 2023) described Cochin’s proposal as an “original and engaging” charity lottery, capable of putting “art at the service of others.” According to him, the public’s enthusiasm was a way to continue his father’s commitment to the most vulnerable.
Why is Teate de Femme at the center of the third edition?
Teate de Femme, dated 1941, belongs to a period marked by war and personal tensions for the artist. The fragmented and gray female face reflects the restless gaze that characterizes many works of the period.
The work comes from the collection of Opera Gallery, which will receive a fixed share of the proceeds. That said, the majority of the funds will be directed directly to research programs, confirming the philanthropic nature of the project.
How did the previous lotteries dedicated to Picasso go?
The current one is the third initiative curated by Peri Cochin with a Picasso painting as a prize. In 2013, the first edition offered L’Homme au Gibus, a cubist drawing from 1914.
That operation raised 5 million euros (5.8 million dollars) destined for the preservation of Tiro, a Lebanese UNESCO World Heritage city, and the construction of a craft village. The winner was a twenty-five-year-old from Pennsylvania, proving the global appeal of the initiative.
In 2020, a second edition offered Nature Morte (1921), a simple still life with a glass of absinthe and a newspaper on a table. Again, another 5 million euros were raised, destined for CARE, which uses the funds for water and hygiene programs in Africa.
The winner was an accounting employee from Northern Italy, who received the ticket as a Christmas gift from her son. Overall, these two lotteries have shown how a work by a famous artist can become a powerful engine of solidarity.
With the new Picasso raffle, the model repeats: an accessible amount for participants, an extraordinary prize at stake, and a concrete impact on research that transcends national borders and social barriers.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.
