Paris Museums and Art Basel Close Amid Protest Threats
Art Basel Paris and several major museums closed early or shuttered entirely to protect visitors and artworks from planned violent protests in the French capital.
Major cultural institutions and art fairs in Paris implemented emergency closures this weekend following threats of violence from planned protests. Art Basel Paris, hosted at the Grand Palais, ended its run two days early, closing at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 23. The decision followed calls from the Instagram account Documentations Art for protesters to "take the Grand Palais" on Saturday.
France's Ministry of Culture ordered the closure of the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and Picasso Museum on Saturday to protect staff and preserve artworks. These measures follow violent unrest on October 17, during which over 500,000 people protested social inequalities and under-funded schools, leading to looting, arson, and clashes with police.
Other private institutions took similar precautions, with the Fondation Louis Vuitton and Gagosian galleries closing on Saturday. The Post-Fair in the Marais operated on a reduced schedule, closing at 1 p.m. Saturday. Paris City Hall urged the public to exercise utmost vigilance as officials expected the latest demonstrations to exceed the size of previous protests.
