When Art Theft Becomes Fashionable Again
The Louvre Museum has reported an uptick in attempted heists after art theft suddenly became fashionable among a new generation of criminals who apparently watched too many Ocean’s movies during quarantine. Security footage shows would-be thieves wearing all black and looking dramatically into the middle distance before triggering laser motion sensors they didn’t realize existed.
“We’ve had seventeen attempts this month alone,” sighed head of security Marcel Dubois. “Half of them brought wire cutters. For paintings. They tried to cut the paintings free.” The trend appears driven by social media influencers romanticizing art theft as a sophisticated career choice, despite the actual success rate hovering near zero percent. Law enforcement experts from Interpol describe the phenomenon as “concerning and also kind of hilarious.”
The museum has responded by installing additional security measures and, more effectively, a large sign reading “You Will Get Caught” in fifteen languages. Would-be thieves typically spend months planning elaborate capers involving grappling hooks and fake mustaches, only to discover that the Louvre employs actual security professionals who have encountered these exact tactics before.
One recent attempt involved three college students who tried to blend in with a tour group while carrying a suspiciously painting-sized rolled carpet. “They told us it was for a school project,” explained one guard. “The school project was apparently grand larceny.” Art crime specialists at the FBI have added a new training module titled “TikTok Made Me Do It: Social Media and Amateur Art Theft.”
Despite the increased attempts, no heists have succeeded, primarily because thieves continue to underestimate the difficulty of stealing world-famous artwork from one of the most heavily guarded buildings in Europe. The museum has begun offering educational tours explaining exactly why art theft is a terrible career choice, though attendance is weirdly popular among people in black turtlenecks taking notes. Publications like Artnet suggest the trend will fade once influencers discover that actual prison isn’t aesthetic enough for Instagram.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/louvres-suddenly-trendy-heist/
SOURCE: Bohiney.com (https://bohiney.com/louvres-suddenly-trendy-heist/)
