Culture News
Louvre, Orsay and a dozen galleries shut for Paris's protest Saturday: what closed
Many of Paris's best-known museums closed on Saturday, October 24, as protests were planned in the city that afternoon and security was tightened, the Italian arts news site Finestre sull'Arte reports. The Louvre closed for the day and is refunding visitors with bookings automatically. The Musée d'Orsay, the Orangerie, the Petit Palais and the Musée des Arts et Métiers also stayed shut.
Private foundations followed. The Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection closed on Saturday after closing two hours early on Friday; the Fondation Louis Vuitton closed Saturday; and the Fondation Cartier suspended opening on both Saturday and Sunday. Major galleries, including Perrotin, Gagosian, Marian Goodman, Almine Rech and Templon, also shut their Paris spaces. Smaller satellite fairs adjusted rather than closed: Paris Internationale stayed open, while Post-Fair Paris opened only from 10am to 1pm.
Turkey's Hürriyet Daily News put the closures, which it says also included the Picasso Museum, alongside the early end of Art Basel Paris. It reported that security forces would be increased by 20% on the day, including soldiers, while two major sporting events on October 25 would also stretch police.
“in light of potential demonstrations across Paris this weekend” — Art Basel organisers, via Hürriyet Daily News
How each outlet framed it
- Finestre sull'Arte — a practical, venue-by-venue list for visitors, including refunds.
- Hürriyet Daily News — the security picture: fears of looting and extra troops.
What we don't know yet: How many visitors were affected, and whether museums will close again if protests continue.