Group 1 - The Louvre Museum in Paris will increase ticket prices for visitors from outside the European Economic Area from €22 to €32 starting January 14, 2024, to fund renovation projects [1][2] - The price increase represents a 45% hike, potentially generating an additional €20 million in annual revenue for the museum [2] - The Louvre expects to receive 8.7 million visitors in 2024, with approximately 70% being foreign tourists, predominantly from the United States [1] Group 2 - A renovation plan announced by French President Emmanuel Macron and Louvre director Laurence des Cars aims to address overcrowding by relocating the painting "Mona Lisa" and improving security and infrastructure [2] - The estimated cost of the renovation project is around €1.1 billion, as reported by the French Court of Auditors [2] - The Louvre is not the only museum in France facing financial challenges; all museums are at a crossroads due to rising operational costs, leading to discussions about increasing visitor fees or reducing opening hours [3]

Core Points - The Paris Picasso Museum has announced the launch of a major renovation project named "Picasso 2030," which is the largest renovation since its opening in 1985, with a budget of €50 million [1][6] - The museum will remain open to the public throughout the renovation period from 2028 to 2030 [1] - A special exhibition titled "Very Picasso: Paul Smith's New Perspective" will be held at the Shanghai Pudong Art Museum starting December 22, featuring over 80 valuable pieces from the Paris Picasso Museum [3] Renovation Details - The renovation will connect the museum's internal courtyard with the adjacent Leonor-Fini Square, creating a 25,000 square foot outdoor sculpture garden that will be free to the public [1][6] - The new sculpture garden will display approximately twelve bronze sculptures by Picasso, including works themed around animals and transformation [6] - The exhibition space will be doubled to 8,600 square feet, with a new wing dedicated to temporary exhibitions [1][6] Historical Context - The museum is housed in the former private residence of tax collector Pierre-Ovide Fontenay, which has undergone multiple transformations since its inception [4][7] - The museum's collection includes over 5,000 artworks and 200,000 archival materials, showcasing Picasso's evolution from his Blue Period to Cubism and later works [4][8] - The museum was officially opened to the public on October 1, 1985, after the French government accepted Picasso's artworks as payment for inheritance tax [7][8] Funding and Challenges - The renovation project will be funded entirely through sponsorship, with contributions from the Picasso family and the museum's own funds, as the French Ministry of Culture is currently focused on other major projects [7] - The museum director emphasized that the project is not yielding to commercialism, maintaining a non-profit approach to overseas exhibitions [7]