France

Amazon's plans to build massive warehouse near Roman aqueduct in south of France cause concern

Locals say the construction will be a "wart" on the way to Pont du Gard, a Unesco world heritage site, and will harm the surrounding environment

Paris's indebted Fan Museum at risk of folding

Income losses during the pandemic have pushed the private museum and fan-making workshop to the brink

Laurence des Cars will be the first woman to lead the Louvre in its history

A seasoned director with an emphasis on the social role of museums, she replaces Jean-Luc Martinez as the Louvre's president-director on 1 September

Chez Victor Hugo: author's former Paris home reopens after revamp

Closed for five months longer than planned, the renovated house-museum can finally unveil expanded spaces, restored treasures and new acquisitions

As French museums reopen, Loire region unveils Modern art collection in a Medieval abbey

The Fontevraud Modern Art Museum, housed in a 12th-century monastery’s former stables, will preserve more than 800 works donated by collectors Martine and Léon Cligman

Researchers suggest that trippy hallucinations influenced prehistoric cave art

Reduced oxygen resulting from the use of torches in narrow enclosed spaces likely triggered hypoxia, resulting in out-of-body experiences, scholars report

'Cranach' painting of Venus at centre of Old Masters fakes scandal must be returned to Prince of Liechtenstein, court rules

Seized as part of a forgery investigation, the work has been fully studied and must no longer be kept as evidence

'It could have been much worse': the current state of play of Notre Dame's restoration, two years after the fire

Philippe Villeneuve, the lead architect of the cathedral, is confident the Parisian landmark will reopen for the Olympic Games in 2024

French galleries sue state over Covid-19 closure

The gallery association CPGA is going to court, claiming its members are “victims of a distortion of competition” as auction houses are allowed to stay open

Protest artist arrested in Paris after trying to enter presidential grounds with fake Molotov cocktail

Alexei Kuzmich, who is known for performances critiquing the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, warned France is also “slipping into fascism” and accused president Emmanuel Macron of punishing dissenters

France's planned slavery memorial on hold over debate about naming 200,000 freed slaves

Shortlisted proposals by artists including Adrian Piper, Julien Creuzet and duo Sammy Baloji and Emeka Ogboh did not adequately adhere to the requirements, campaign group says

Centre Pompidou plans to show 120,000 works 'as much as possible' around France during three-year closure

While Paris museum undergoes renovations, Europe's biggest modern and contemporary art collection will go on tour—keeping curators employed

Musée d’Orsay in Paris renamed after late French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing

The formal name change—an administrative move—also means the Musée de l’Orangerie will be rebranded

Curate-it-yourself: French museums take to social media to ask the public what they want to see in their galleries

Spurred on by the pandemic, several institutions are inviting art lovers to choose works for display

Succession: critics take aim at Louvre chief Jean-Luc Martinez as he seeks reappointment

French president Emmanuel Macron will decide whether to renew or replace the museum's director in the coming weeks

French culture minister hospitalised after contracting Covid-19

Roselyne Bachelot's condition is "stable and not worrying"

Frank Gehry’s twisting tower for Luma Arles to open its doors in June

Patron Maja Hoffmann is driving the ambitious cultural project in southern France

Newly attributed Bernini drawing up for auction in France

Actéon auctioneers expect the 17th-century study of a male nude, authenticated by Ann Sutherland Harris and Louis de Bayser, to sell for €30,000 to €50,000

After a stormy few years, Paris Biennale is laid to rest

The long-running French event will be replaced by a new art, antiques and luxury crafts fair at the end of November

Musée Rodin could be forced to release 3D scans of bronze sculptures—including The Thinker—to the public

Cosmo Wenman made a freedom of information request for the files and is taking the museum to court because it turned him down

Pushing the envelope: new technology reads 300-year-old letter without opening it

X-rays and computer algorithms preserve the complicated technique of letterlocking, which turn writing paper into envelope

Designnews

Richard Rogers-designed drawing gallery hangs dramatically off a French hillside

One of the architect’s final commissions before his retirement is the newest addition to the art- and architecture-studded Chateau La Coste vineyard in southern France

Podcastspodcast

Stonehenge: could a road tunnel ruin the ancient site?

Plus, French museums revolt against lockdown closures and artist Crystal Fischetti on Karla Black

Far-right mayor reopens four museums in southern France—without government’s permission

Although national museums are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Perpignan's Musée Rigaud, Casa Pairal, Musée Puig and the museum of natural history are open to the public again

Museum revolution: 100 French directors call for 'essential' reopening

Petition urges culture minister to lift coronavirus restrictions on museums and galleries so they can "take care of visitors now"

Amid child sexual abuse accusations, Paris authorities turn off Claude Lévêque light sculptures

The French artist is under police investigation over claims that he abused minors under the age of 15

Kamel Mennour gallery's representation of Claude Lévêque suspended after allegations of abuse of minors

According to French media reports, a police investigation has been launched into violations dating back to the 1970s

Prizesnews

Lithium mining and a Donald Judd horror film: nominees for Prix Marcel Duchamp—France's most prestigious contemporary art award—announced

The four artists will have their work exhibited at the Centre Pompidou in Paris for the prize, worth €35,000

Paris news

Champs Élysées—one of Paris’s most polluted roads—to be transformed into ‘extraordinary garden’

The major avenue will undergo a €250m makeover to restore its former splendour, following the 2024 Summer Olympics