Museums in Paris get into the spirit of the Olympic Games

Paris 2024! For some, these words rhyme with horror, for others, they resonate as a promise of celebration and excitement. In a hundred days from now, the City of Light will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with athletes from around the world gracing the stadiums of Paris, while a wave of tourists floods the streets. For the occasion, Parisian museums, guardians of history and culture, join the festivities in their own way. In line with LVMH's approach, they are also preparing their own Cultural Olympiads. Among the leading institutions of the capital, the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, Orsay, the Orangerie, and the Quai Branly have designed programs as original as they are dynamic to mark the occasion. These activations are planned throughout the year, with events starting now and continuing until the end of summer. Exhibitions, performances, and special activities will take place on specific dates, while others will be offered continuously throughout the Games period.

If you thought museums were quiet and peaceful places, think again. At the Louvre, visitors can roll out their yoga mats and stretch in the heart of the Grande Galerie, just steps away from the Mona Lisa. And if they prefer hip-hop to zen, head to the Musée d'Orsay, where dancers will perform amidst Monet and Van Gogh paintings. Museums are not lacking in imagination to involve the public in this celebration. At the Centre Pompidou, an interactive treasure hunt combining contemporary art and comics awaits visitors. According to Laurent Le Bon, President of the Centre Pompidou, this initiative stems from the desire "for everyone to have fun discovering the collection in a new and innovative way." The Quai Branly, on the other hand, offers a route highlighting fifteen works symbolizing the link between sport and world cultures, "a unique opportunity to raise awareness of cultural diversity through the prism of sport."

This initiative to merge art and sport in Parisian museums finds its very essence in the philosophy of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, who firmly believed in the importance of physical education and culture in the overall development of the individual. He saw the Olympics as a means to promote values such as excellence, friendship, and respect through sports competition. By integrating these values into their initiatives, Parisian museums perpetuate this heritage and offer a platform where art and sport harmoniously intersect. As expressed by Laurence Des Cars, President of the Louvre: "Through our artistic initiatives and sports activities, we highlight excellence, friendship, and respect, values cherished by the Olympic Games." Thus, Parisian museums create a bridge between the past and the present, while offering an enriching and inspiring experience to their visitors.