The Louvre’s security is again under scrutiny after pranksters outsmarted the museum's security and placed a painting in the same room as the famous Mona Lisa.
The Belgian duo, Neal and Senne, have gone viral for sneaking their own-created painting into the Louvre Museum, just weeks after a historic heist.
The pranksters placed their painting in the same room as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, one of the best-known artworks in the world, and left it unnoticed by security.
Bringing any artwork or antique into the Louvre is strictly prohibited, and visitors must undergo a thorough security check before entering the museum, which includes the use of metal detectors.
Neal and Senne, however, evaded being flagged by security by building the artwork’s frame from LEGO bricks.
On October 19th, thieves disguised as construction workers stole eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels valued at approximately €88 million ($101 million) in broad daylight.
The Louvre’s problems, however, didn’t end with the theft. The museum came under intense scrutiny after French media reported that experts had been raising concerns about the museum’s security for over a decade.
One of the most notable examples of poor security measures was the use of the password “LOUVRE” for the museum’s video surveillance server in 2014. It’s unclear whether these security issues were addressed by the time of the heist.
A report by the Court of Auditors published last week concluded that the Louvre favoured operations that “were visible and attractive” at the expense of maintenance and renovation, especially in the fields of safety and security between 2018 and 2024.
Neal and Senne also went viral earlier this year when they managed to sneak into the Champions League final for free by disguising themselves as workers.
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