The break-in at the Louvre Museum in Paris has made fragile the “fundamental mission” of museums to share “the common heritage of humanity” without turning into “vaults,” according to directors of 57 leading international museums in an article published today in the French newspaper Le Monde.
“With this theft, it is not only the Louvre that is under attack, but museums themselves — in their most fundamental mission: to share humanity’s common heritage with the greatest number of people,” write the directors of institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York, the Picasso Museum in Paris, the National Gallery in London, and the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo.
According to the statement, the Louvre burglary on October 19, during which eight jewels from the French Crown were stolen, represents “one of the greatest fears of museum professionals.”
“These risks weigh on each of our institutions. They weigh on every work of art the moment it is exhibited,” the signatories write. “Our institutions are not spared from the brutality of the world. Today they face increasingly violent acts,” they add.
However, the museum directors stress that museums must remain open spaces to the outside world.
“Museums are neither fortresses nor vaults. By creating a safe environment for art and its public, they find their purpose in openness and accessibility,” the article reads.
They also offer their “deepest and most sincere support” to Laurence des Cars, the president and director of the Louvre, who has come under intense scrutiny following the break-in.
“Her leadership and (…) her dedication to the museum’s mission — especially as a space of consensus in our increasingly fragmented societies — are deeply respected and admired,” they write.
On the investigation front, two men have been taken into custody in France, suspected of being part of the four-member burglary team. The stolen jewels have not yet been recovered.
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