Christophe Leribault has been announced as the new director of the Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris. He replaces Laurence des Cars, who became the first female director of the Louvre this month.
Leribault previously served as a curator at the Louvre and as director of the Musée Delacroix. He went on to helm the Petit Palais art museum in Paris in 2012 (via Artforum).
The Musée d’Orsay’s new director begins in his role on October 5. He will oversee the institution’s expansion project, titled Orsay Wide Open. The project involves building centres for research and education, and expanding exhibition space.
Des Cars said Orsay Wide Open will “offer visitors a comfortable experience in spacious galleries and with educational resources that enrich their understanding of our collection and the history of art and culture”.
Leribault to oversee Orsay Wide Open
Speaking to French publication Le Point, Leribault said: “It is a period of depleted financial resources, sponsorship is now very difficult to find.”
“The museum public has also changed a little,” he added. “[There are] a lot less foreign tourists, of course, but also more young people who, unable to travel or go out, have rediscovered museums.”
“In fact, I believe this is a good time to refocus,” Leribault said. “Orsay can no longer be a tourist factory. The French, the Parisians in particular, and the public usually inhibited by museums, must be able to reclaim places.”
As part of Orsay Wide Open, the museum will create a new wing by converting 13,000 square feet of office space. Galleries in the new wing will showcase the Musée d’Orsay’s Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection.
“We look forward to the new possibilities the expansion will bring to the museum and to welcoming and sparking a deeper connection with our visitors,” Des Cars said.
Images: Musée d’Orsay/LinkedIn
