Will France sell the Mona Lisa to save culture from the Corona virus?

The Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum in the French capital, Paris attracts a huge number of visitors and tourists from all over the world, which makes its material value invaluable, in addition to its moral and symbolic value. 

With the increasing economic hardship facing the culture sector in France in light of the Corona pandemic, French digital advisor Stephane Distingan launched an unprecedented proposal to sell the painting. 

Destangan - a French entrepreneur and activist known for his interest in the digital, cultural and creative industries - says the Mona Lisa is like a heritage that curbs new creativity, and that it obscures hundreds of other artistic masterpieces such as "Marriage in Cana of Galilee" by the Italian Renaissance artist Paolo Veronese suspended nearby and unnoticed. .

The painting from time to time raises controversies between the French and the Italians, who shout automatically with every diplomatic tension, "Return the Mona Lisa to us!" 

Destangan (born 1973) considers that the presence of this plate in the Louvre is an ancient pride that must end at a time when France needs muffles and tampons to conduct medical examinations, and for these and other reasons, digital advisor Stephen says it is time to sell that painting.

"Let's sell it for at least 50 billion euros to an Arab prince, or to make it a guarantee of a new virtual currency, or to send it on a tour of the Puglia region in Italy to revive tourism," says Distingan.

Distangan, founder of the Fabernoville company specializing in digital innovation consulting, made his call, which sparked wide reactions in France, and said in his dialogue with the French magazine, "I think it can be a good deal from an economic and cultural point of view, in unusual circumstances, there must be unprecedented responses." .

He added that "the epidemic and quarantine permits new boldness, the culture sector is broken, and the famous French cultural exception is likely to collapse, and the only party that has the means to resist and issue some of the reactions are the American giants like Netflix, which has been showing for several days the films of the French director Trefo."

"We sell the jewel of the family, certainly not to earn money, but to finance the revival of a world of culture that has become threatened with extinction due to the Corona crisis," he added.

Who is the Mona Lisa?
Distangan pointed to the various reactions to his call, "Those who long for a monarchy who feel panic, and the conservatives who shake their heads and confirm that heritage is the identity of the people, and to progressives who understand my desire to look to the future." 

He added that he had Italian friends who repeatedly said that "the Mona Lisa is ours", although, unlike other treasures in French or English museums, the Mona Lisa is neither a spoil of war nor a result of theft, as is well known, it was bought by French King Francois I.

The magazine asked Distingan whether his invitation resembled the sale of the "Savior of the World" painting by Leonardo Da Vinci to a Saudi billionaire (referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) and he answered "I will not say that there are specific criteria for price adventure, let's ask for at least fifty billion, Or a hundred times the price of the "Savior of the World" painting.

It is estimated that two million tourists go to the Louvre every year to see the Mona Lisa, and Distingan believes that the Mona Lisa brings directly to the Louvre Museum and indirectly to the French economy nearly three billion euros annually, and the French entrepreneur and cultural activist said, "It seems to me the initial auction at a price 50 billion reasonable. "

Asked about the potential buyer of the Mona Lisa, Distingan said, "I think the buyers will be many, Jeff Bezos spent a little less on his recent divorce, or we can think about sponsoring the painting, and the Mona Lisa can also be used as collateral for a new digital currency, in short many views will emerge once a principle of exploitation is accepted. The value of the Mona Lisa in a different and more modern way. "

Distangan admitted that he does not like the Mona Lisa, and finds it somewhat annoying, and said, "I do not like even the nationalist passion that I have always raised, without wanting to analyze myself silly. It must be said that the painting takes on some value from its subject of women, there is always a problem about ownership "Mona Lisa", let's get rid of it and use its price to think about the future of culture and art.