Louvre bosses break silence after pranksters snuck pretend portray subsequent to Mona Lisa
EXCLUSIVE: The Louvre is considering legal action after two TikTokers managed to smuggle and hang their own artwork near the Mona Lisa, outwitting museum security just weeks after a £76million jewel heist
The Louvre is considering legal action against the pranksters who managed to hang an unauthorised artwork near the Mona Lisa. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, the museum has broken its silence after two men went viral on TikTok with their stunt.
A Louvre spokesperson confirmed that two individuals entered the museum in Paris, France, with the intention of pulling a prank just weeks after its infamous heist which saw four men in yellow safety vests steal eight items worth £76million in broad daylight.
Outfoxing museum security, the two men managed to smuggle their own artwork into the Mona Lisa’s gallery.
“The two individuals entered the museum normally and were checked [by security], a Louvre spokesperson told the Daily Star. They further stated: “According to their TikTok video, they had with them, in separate pieces and divided between the two of them, an A4 sheet of paper, the Lego pieces they used as a frame, and double-sided tape.
“None of these items are prohibited by the visitor regulations and cannot be subject to a ban at the entrance. They assembled the frame and mounted the sheet after passing through security.
“They tried to stick it up near the Mona Lisa, but realising that the surveillance made this action impossible, they stuck it in the vestibule (the area located behind the Mona Lisa’s partition wall) in a matter of seconds on a blank section of wall. They immediately left the premises.
“This unauthorised display was discovered and removed by staff less than three minutes later. There was no damage.
“The perpetrators left the premises very quickly as soon as their operation was completed.” The spokesperson went on to confirm that the pranksters’ stunt may result in more severe consequences, as they concluded: “The museum is considering filing a lawsuit.”
Last week (November 14), Neal Reemerie and Senne Haverbeke, two Belgian TikTokers, boldly hung an interesting work of art in the Louvre Museum, not far from the Mona Lisa. The daring men took to their social media pages to upload footage of the stunt.
The painting itself seemingly represented a portrait of Reemerie and Haverbeke, painted in the style of Mona Lisa. “We made a frame that can be assembled with Lego,” they explained.
“To get it through the security scanner, it has to be taken apart into several pieces. Then we just reassemble it inside.
“We also bring the painting inside rolled up.” Upon passing through the security gates, they explained: “We went in an hour before closing, but visitors were already being asked to leave the room half an hour later.
“We hung the painting quickly. It was impossible to put it on the Mona Lisa’s wall, there are too many guards, but it is definitely in the same room.”
This latest stunt comes hot on the heels of the dramatic Louvre heist last month, when four thieves used a mechanical lift to access the Apollo Gallery, cut through a window, and stole eight pieces of French Crown Jewels in less than eight minutes before escaping on scooters. They are believed to have been disguised as construction workers.
While on the run, they dropped one stolen piece, Empress Eugenie’s crown, which was recovered but damaged. Three arrests have been made, but the stolen jewels are still missing, and the incident has raised serious questions about the museum’s security.
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