Louvre Opens Gallery of Five Continents for Extra-European Arts

The Louvre Museum in Paris inaugurated the Gallery of the Five Continents on December 3, 2025, a new 700-square-meter exhibition space in the renovated Pavillon des Sessions. The gallery presents a dialogue among world cultures through objects from the Louvre, Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, Musée National de la Marine, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Musée d'Aquitaine, and Musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer, with an exceptional loan from the Republic of Nigeria. The project is funded by philanthropist Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, who covered the entire renovation cost, including a new reception and bar. Concurrently, the Louvre acquired its first contemporary artwork for the permanent collection: nine large canvases by South African artist Marlene Dumas, titled Liaisons, installed in the Porte des Lions atrium. The museum also announced a 45% ticket price increase (from €22 to €32) for non-European visitors starting January 14, 2026. The gallery reflects a decolonization effort, aligning with President Macron's 2018 commitment to reassess collections and potentially restitute artworks. A series of talks begins December 10 to discuss the presence of extra-European works in European museums.