they should have an international influence

Is the Louvre still the first Museum in the world, or rather of the Western world National Taipei Palace Museum, the largest collection of Chinese art, rich shows coming tourists from mainland China. the largest Museum of Islamic art just reopened in Cairo...

Today, there is no dispute the Louvre remains the largest museum in the world. The institutions that you cite are specialized. The Louvre has a universal ambition since the revolution. The only previous example is the British Museum. The Louvre established as central Museum in 1793 was amputated chronologically as the collections stop in 1850 and geographically because it is bordered by the Guimet Museum for the arts of the far East and the Museum of the Branly Quay for Oceania, Africa, and pre-Columbian America. But he has always played the role of Museum of museums, it has been heavily copied. Gather all civilization, all artistic fields, was diplomatic, political, major radiation. This was not only created Museum to show French art, but all areas, all civilizations. The Louvre was speaking at the world. It was very new to the 18th century: he preferred the Republic of letters rather than national interest. At the time of identity withdrawal today, remember the.

With the rise of new countries, is the France a loss of cultural influence in the world

The cultural influence of the France is real, more marked than that of other countries. Unfortunately, our policy is too atomized our efforts too dispersed. The current reform can promote a more coherent policy.

This reform does not homeopathic dose

Indeed, and the France does not benefit enough from its assets, while she has something unique: this outstanding engineering of museums. The Louvre is the only one in the world to gather as many skills. His workshops are treasures of the national heritage, with its painters, marble, spin doctors, coaches, upholsterers... they should have an international influence. The question is how, with the wealth of these rare professions, all these innovative know-how, this artistic daring, build more our actions

What are budget arbitrations rendered concerning the Louvre

As all operators of the State, the Louvre Museum contributes to the effort to reduce public spending. Its subsidy in investment as in operation decreases. We work actively with the services of the Department to achieve balance in this tight budget context, our budget for the year 2011. For my part, I wish to focus on a multi-year approach to precisely identify the needs of the Museum. Indeed, many deadlines ahead in the medium and long term. We will open, for example, in 2012 the new rooms of the Department of the arts of islam under construction and the first stone was laid in 2008 by the President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy. These spaces, which are the reflection of a major cultural ambition, will require jobs only for surveillance.

Will these constraints require you to give up some exhibitions

The cultural policy of the institution is the source of the radiation. This represents that 8 of the total budget, is not cropping on it that it will happen. The quality of our exhibitions, offensive policies to the public, activities diversified Auditorium, all of this makes us and attracts a continually renewed public. By its bicentennial history, the Museum is a real Conservatory of crafts. If its scientific staff decreases, its workshops are penalized, it will be really harmful. The Louvre is first and foremost a resource: for every euro donated by the State, it refer ten, according to the study conducted by the Economist Xavier graft. It is therefore a source of unquestionable benefit to the France. And this year attendance is expected to increase to more than 8.5 millions of visitors.

You seem worried nonetheless

Yes, I am. We cannot avoid the rule that an employee on two will not be replaced. Take the Department of Oriental Antiquities: how will we do when two-thirds of the Conservatives will retire in the next five years These are leading experts who have dedicated their lives, their research in this Department. The decisions made today are the future: how to measure the impact to term This is scary.

In July, you have written a letter to the Minister of Culture, with your counterparts d'Orsay and Centre Pompidou, in which you you worry of heavy budget cuts: what he said

This letter was not intended to be published, but to apply for an appointment so that we can warn him on the problems of human resources and financial resources faced by cultural institutions which, like ours, are part of the long term. Desired by the Government savings measures are certainly needed, but should not respond to an immediate concern in jeopardizing our missions in

the future. It is remembered that our budget of EUR 245 million is made almost to half by the State, for half our own resources. The public subsidy covers our expenses of staff and our load of servicing, not investment, scientific and cultural expenditures or acquisition. This is why we have significantly developed sponsorship, which has generated 32.7 million in 2009, Act of 2003 we had with the incentive device in the world. But there will come a moment where budgetary restrictions become perilous. We have already performed significant savings while preserving our level of activity. These essential efforts must not break our momentum. Culture is an economic engine for our country and the risk is that savings today generate much greater losses tomorrow.

The increase in the market of art said the cost of acquisition of works

During my career, I have known that outbreaks of art courses! For example, when the Gulf countries are concerned, when the Getty has made its collection... There is always an event that pushed the price. But our policy of acquisitions is remarkable. We are masters of our policy, including through earmarking of 20 of the entry fee for this. To add the provisions concerning national treasures, the recommendations, the Heritage Fund, sponsorship. We thus have a new ease of acquisition. In 2009, this was more than 40 million euros. Affluence does not mean abundance, but we must not pass major opportunity. We have just to acquire a thanks to the friends of the Louvre, a dais for the throne of Charles VII.

With less than average, how do you fund orders placed on contemporary artists

Everything is "mécéné." Contemporary art at the Louvre earns more that it costs; In addition, it is a vector image and participates in the life of the Museum. Since the middle ages, the Louvre is still went ahead, continuously, it is in his DNA, it is never completed! The Louvre has always been able to integrate the most recent of modernity. By Anselm Kiefer, François Morellet, or Cy Twombly, I'm that reconnect with a tradition. The famous example is the Apollo Gallery, decorated by Le Brun at the request of Louis XIV, and then completed in XIXepar Delacroix. In the 20th, there were birds painted by Braque in a Renaissance ceiling and the pyramid of Pei. This is not a fashion. A Museum who dies is a museum which is not known to raise the envy of the artists. Work current artists is a credo. I don't want a Louvre reserved for visitors only! This museum should debate. This is why we have also invited Toni Morrison, Nobel Prize for literature on the theme of "abroad at home". It found that its questions on the wandering, exile, deportation, the black community, found in our collections of responses, political, social, aesthetic. This demonstrates the actuality of our collections. This year, the great guest is Patrice Chéreau.

400 million euros for the Louvre - Abu Dhabi, it was a good price The return on investment you meet it

The Louvre - Abu Dhabi is a chance for the Louvre and the France, that it would be criminal to let pass. This has been a little difficult at first, it felt alone, sometimes misunderstood, severely tried. But, today, the Louvre Abu Dhabi well advanced, is incarnated in collections, Jean Nouvel project takes shape. First acquisitions were made by the Agency France-museums, dedicated to one project, and the Emirates, what many saw as a utopia. The 400 million euros collected for the sole name of the Louvre, will help to fuel an Endowment Fund to support projects in the long term. There is not only an economic return, there is a return to image. During this crucial phase of the two to three years before the opening, we put all our forces to fulfill our commitments, we turn "in project mode".

And where is Louvre-Lens

It will open on December 4, 2012. It is an exemplary project for the Louvre, which marks its vocation of great national museum, whose collections and expertise are at the service of the entire France. We are conducting with very defined territorial communities.

You had much to a fourth term!

Yes, I had the legitimate desire to complete what I introduced. I have faith in culture, in its need, in that it can bring. This does not prevent me to prepare the following and try to maintain my activity of art historian: I works on a book devoted to the 1860s. I was appointed at the Louvre as a curator, art historian, and this profile seems to me essential when you are at the head of a cultural institution such as the Louvre.

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