Louvre Closes as Student Protesters Block Pyramid Ahead of Art Basel Paris

The Louvre closed Monday after roughly 50 arts and culture students blocked its glass pyramid entrance, Le Figaro reports. The action landed on the one-year anniversary of the jewelry heist at the same museum. Timing, in Paris, is rarely accidental.

The closure follows a weekend of nationwide unrest. Saturday's protests against social inequality, focused on conditions in public schools, drew more than 500,000 people to city centers across France, according to authorities. Clashes with police followed. Nearly 2,400 people were arrested, thousands of shops were looted, and a 19th-century town hall in Limoges was badly burned.

France's interior minister admitted police had "lost control" of some areas and offered to resign. President Emmanuel Macron refused the resignation and promised swift repercussions against looters, plus a review of new security "operational methods." Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said curfews could be imposed as soon as Monday night to protect shops.

What does this mean for Art Basel Paris?

The unrest arrived on the eve of Art Basel Paris, the flagship fair opening this week at the Grand Palais. Art Basel issued a statement Sunday confirming "the fair is proceeding as planned" and that "additional security personnel have been deployed to patrol the perimeter of the fair 24 hours a day."

The fair said existing "extensive protocols" aim to ensure the "safety of all guests, exhibitors and staff, as well as the security of the artworks." Measures include:

• Anti-ram barriers around the Grand Palais
• Thorough security screening for visitors
• A private security company working alongside Paris police where necessary

Which openings survived the weekend?

Most art openings went ahead, despite closed streets, shuttered subways and skirmishes between police and protesters. Bystanders caught smoke from burning barricades and tear gas. Several sources said visitors are hiring cars this week, and a few have canceled hotel reservations.

Some venues blinked first. The Jeu de Paume canceled Sunday's opening of Stan Douglas's show Parallax "out of precaution," a museum spokesperson told ARTnews, with the surrounding Tuileries gardens closed for the same reason. Hauser & Wirth shut its space in the 8th arrondissement on Saturday "as a precaution to protect the team, visitors and staff," a representative said by email.

At Marian Goodman Gallery in the Marais, where an exhibition opened with a new film by Bruce Nauman and Tacita Dean, guests made it "through the barricades," tear gas included, to an opening dinner where Dean thanked them for coming. Later that night, ARTnews witnessed looters running out of shops on rue du Temple, arms full of merchandise.

No damage was reported at the Louvre, and protesters did not enter the pyramid. The museum's website stated: "due to student strikes, the museum is currently closed." AFP reported the protesters, including students from the École du Louvre, objected to the violent police response of recent weeks and supported demands for better public school conditions amid the rising cost of living.

At the Musée d'Orsay on Sunday night, guests at the opening of Jenny Holzer's exhibition "J'ai Vue" (I Saw) discussed the protests and the show's timeliness; it addresses global conflict directly. Holzer was unwell and could not attend.

Artist Kendalle Getty said mounting her new exhibition "L'Identification Avec L'Autre" (Identification with the Other), on rue Bleue in the 9th arrondissement, proved a challenge amid weeks of student disruptions. She now fears her large-scale mirror works, inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, could be damaged by looters.

Shauna Torres, who installed and organized the exhibition, got stuck in tear gas on Saturday. Her verdict: "We're living in history, and sometimes that smells like fires and tear gas and champagne, but I'm just happy to be here."

It remains too early to say whether protests will continue this week, though locals hope a school holiday will calm tensions. The art world, meanwhile, will open on schedule behind anti-ram barriers.