Louvre Among Major Paris Museums to Shutter During Saturday Protests
The Fondation Cartier, galleries including Gagosian and Perrotin, and Art Basel Paris will remain closed all weekend.
Several major Paris museums, including the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, and Musée National Picasso, will be shut down on Saturday, October 24 for anticipated protests advocating for educational reform, reduced living expenses, and an end to police brutality. The decision comes after Art Basel Paris announced their early exit and closure for the final two public days on Friday night.
Private foundations and commercial galleries have also confirmed their plans to close on Saturday. The Fondation Cartier and Fondation Louis Vuitton will observe closures on both Saturday and Sunday, while Gagosian, Esther Schipper, and Perrotin are among the commercial galleries announcing their respective closures on the day. French authorities have taken steps to prohibit "illegitimate" protests across the country and will be bolstering security with military troops and an increased police presence in Paris and other major cities on Saturday.
Demonstrations authorized by registered labor unions will be evaluated in line with the law, potentially requiring alternate routes. A significant union-led rally, originally planned outside the Grand Palais in protest of Art Basel Paris, has shifted its location to Place de la Bastille following the fair's early cancellation and an order to avoid entering the city center.
The National Union of Visual Artists (SNAP–CGT), which initiated the rally, expressed satisfaction with the Art Basel Paris decision, stating that the cancellation of their weekend allows the movement to continue supporting student and university demands and to build a strike.
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