By succeeding Jean-Luc Martinez, who held this position for eight years, Laurence des Cars will become the first woman to become the head of the largest museum in the world since its creation in 1793. "He has a lot to say to young people. , it is an echo chamber of society, ”she explained.
The president of the Musée d'Orsay, Laurence des Cars, was chosen by the Élysée to head the Louvre, the largest museum in the world, which she wants to make "an echo chamber for society". The first woman to become the head of the museum since its creation in 1793, she was appointed by Emmanuel Macron. On September 1, she will succeed Jean-Luc Martinez, who in eight years at the head of the Louvre will have made it more accessible to all audiences, not to mention the implementation of national and international projects such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The project that Laurence des Cars, 54, had submitted to the Élysée "reflects on how the Louvre can be fully contemporary. It has a lot to say to young people, it is an echo chamber for society" , she explained on France Inter.
She announced her first measure: the creation of a ninth department, which will be devoted to Byzantium and the Christians of the East.
"Recognized curator"
The art historian had directed the Musée d'Orsay for four years. She was noted for her dynamism, notably with the "Orsay Grand Open" site and the "Black Model" exhibition in 2019. "She was chosen as a recognized curator, of international stature, having been very successful at Orsay, having knowledge of the Louvre because of the maneuver on the Louvre Abu Dhabi from 2007 to 2014 ", explained the Élysée.
His project, we are happy to say, aims to "welcome the polyphony of the world into a museum that resonates" with society: the place of women in the collections, the provenance of the works.
"Laurence des Cars will have to write a new page in the history of the largest museum in the world. The Louvre must reinvent itself in the post-crisis world, become even more than today, a place of contemplation and of reflection open to all ", reacted the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot.
Over 10 million visitors
Jean-Luc Martinez, 57, was running for a third term and had been acting since April 13.
He was appointed by Emmanuel Macron as the first ambassador for international cooperation in the field of heritage.
He will be responsible for pursuing the policy of restitution and the fight against international trafficking in works of art.
Very sensitive to access to the Louvre by all audiences, he modernized the museum so that the number of visitors exceeds 10 million visitors in 2019 (including 71% of foreigners), before being struck by the pandemic. coronavirus.
He developed online ticket offices, created nocturnes, a "small gallery" for families, ordered expansion work, and began restoring the Jardin des Tuileries.
Jean-Luc Martinez will also have led the important Louvre Abu Dhabi project, stepped up loans and deposits in the provinces. And inaugurated in 2019 an ultra-modern center for the conservation of reserves, in Liévin, next to the Louvre-Lens. Its approach to supplementing resources was discussed. Having stepped up the brand's marketing to major brands (AirBnB, Uniqlo, Alibaba, etc.), he was accused by his opponents of selling off the symbols of the Louvre.