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Laurence des Cars takes over as Louvre president in September / Photo: Franck Ferville
Laurence des Cars is to become the first female president of the Louvre, following her appointment by French president Emmanuel Macron.
Art historian des Cars is currently president of the Musée d’Orsay and L’Orangerie in Paris, and will take over from Jean-Luc Martinez at the Louvre in September 2021.
According to a statement by the French culture ministry, des Cars will focus on fostering a “dialogue between ancient art and the contemporary world” and widening the appeal of the Louvre, particularly for young people. She has pledged to extend the museum’s opening hours in order to make it more accessible for working people – it currently closes at 5.30pm.
“I’m deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by the President of the French Republic and the Minister of Culture in appointing me as head of this tremendous museum,” said des Cars.
“My ambition is to place the Louvre at the core of topical debates, and for it to foster reflection on all issues within society.
“Through its ‘longue durée approach’, the Louvre gives relevance to the present, it is wholeheartedly contemporary and can therefore speak volumes to today’s youth.
“The recent crisis has had a particularly destabilising impact, and has forced us to consider economic balances and to rethink – despite the constraints – the museum visit in terms of an exceptional experience,” she said.
A general curator of heritage, specialising in 19th and early 20th-century art, Laurence des Cars began her career at the Musée d’Orsay, before overseeing the development of the Louvre Abu Dhabi between 2007 and 2014. Over the past four years, she has worked on broadening the appeal of the Musée d’Orsay and L’Orangerie, expanding the programme of exhibitions and live shows. In 2019, she oversaw the acclaimed exhibition Black models: from Géricault to Matisse at the Musée d’Orsay, which focused on the representation of black figures in visual arts, and in 2020 announced major transformation plans for the museum.
Des Cars plans to invite a range of contemporary artists and collaborators to the Louvre to enrich its work, while also emphasising the history of the museum.
“I want to see the great scholars who make the Louvre what it is, share their knowledge with absolute openness,” she said. “I also want to give modern-day creators the opportunity to express themselves.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
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Disney: The Art of Marvel
Disneyland Paris has opened its new Marvel-inspired hotel. Art director Caroline May tells us what made it such a special project to work on
Interview: Nicolas de Villiers
As Puy du Fou opens its first park outside France, its president tells Attractions Management about his ambitious global plans and why China is next on his radar
Research: All creatures great and small
Large, charismatic animals drive footfall to zoos, but there are more unusual ways of boosting attendance, says Yvonne Buckley
Research: Power of youth
Teenage volunteers can help tween visitors get more out of their visits to science centres, new research shows
Disney: Reach for the stars
Dreamed up by Star Wars fans and brought to life by Disney Imagineers – a sneak peek at the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience
Research: Animal magic
A national study in Japan has shown how partnering with entertainment companies can help drive visits and donations to zoos
Museums: The way we live
London’s Museum of the Home has reopened after a major refurbishment. We hear from the architects and museum director
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
Laurence des Cars takes over as Louvre president in September / Photo: Franck Ferville
Laurence des Cars is to become the first female president of the Louvre, following her appointment by French president Emmanuel Macron.
Art historian des Cars is currently president of the Musée d’Orsay and L’Orangerie in Paris, and will take over from Jean-Luc Martinez at the Louvre in September 2021.
According to a statement by the French culture ministry, des Cars will focus on fostering a “dialogue between ancient art and the contemporary world” and widening the appeal of the Louvre, particularly for young people. She has pledged to extend the museum’s opening hours in order to make it more accessible for working people – it currently closes at 5.30pm.
“I’m deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by the President of the French Republic and the Minister of Culture in appointing me as head of this tremendous museum,” said des Cars.
“My ambition is to place the Louvre at the core of topical debates, and for it to foster reflection on all issues within society.
“Through its ‘longue durée approach’, the Louvre gives relevance to the present, it is wholeheartedly contemporary and can therefore speak volumes to today’s youth.
“The recent crisis has had a particularly destabilising impact, and has forced us to consider economic balances and to rethink – despite the constraints – the museum visit in terms of an exceptional experience,” she said.
A general curator of heritage, specialising in 19th and early 20th-century art, Laurence des Cars began her career at the Musée d’Orsay, before overseeing the development of the Louvre Abu Dhabi between 2007 and 2014. Over the past four years, she has worked on broadening the appeal of the Musée d’Orsay and L’Orangerie, expanding the programme of exhibitions and live shows. In 2019, she oversaw the acclaimed exhibition Black models: from Géricault to Matisse at the Musée d’Orsay, which focused on the representation of black figures in visual arts, and in 2020 announced major transformation plans for the museum.
Des Cars plans to invite a range of contemporary artists and collaborators to the Louvre to enrich its work, while also emphasising the history of the museum.
“I want to see the great scholars who make the Louvre what it is, share their knowledge with absolute openness,” she said. “I also want to give modern-day creators the opportunity to express themselves.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Museums: Museum of everything
At Depot Van Beuningen, a new kind of museum is taking shape, with the whole collection on show
Interview: Joe Pine
From mass customised itineraries to hybrid experiences, the pandemic is influencing attractions trends, says thought leader, Joe Pine
Disney: The Art of Marvel
Disneyland Paris has opened its new Marvel-inspired hotel. Art director Caroline May tells us what made it such a special project to work on
Interview: Nicolas de Villiers
As Puy du Fou opens its first park outside France, its president tells Attractions Management about his ambitious global plans and why China is next on his radar
Research: All creatures great and small
Large, charismatic animals drive footfall to zoos, but there are more unusual ways of boosting attendance, says Yvonne Buckley
Research: Power of youth
Teenage volunteers can help tween visitors get more out of their visits to science centres, new research shows
Disney: Reach for the stars
Dreamed up by Star Wars fans and brought to life by Disney Imagineers – a sneak peek at the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience
Research: Animal magic
A national study in Japan has shown how partnering with entertainment companies can help drive visits and donations to zoos
Museums: The way we live
London’s Museum of the Home has reopened after a major refurbishment. We hear from the architects and museum director
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
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experiences.
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
