Lady Gaga, the famous American singer, songwriter, and actor, recently released a video clip in collaboration with the Louvre museum in Paris. In the video, Lady Gaga can be seen creeping through the museum at night wearing a red wig and singing a song composed especially for the clip. She comes face to face with the Mona Lisa and uses lipstick to draw a smile on the protective glass in front of the painting. The video was released on Lady Gaga’s Instagram and TikTok accounts to promote the Louvre’s new exhibition, Figures of the Fool, which opens next month.
Despite concerns about the wisdom of encouraging such gestures, the Louvre insisted that the video was purely fictional and a homage to Leonardo da Vinci, who was obsessed with the smile. The museum took precautions by adding an additional screen in front of the protective glass to prevent any harm to the painting. The lipstick smile drawn by Lady Gaga in the video is reminiscent of a key scene in the Joker movie, where Harley Quinn paints a smile on glass during a visit to The Joker in jail. The Louvre collaborated with Warner Bros Pictures, the Hollywood studio behind the movie, to shoot the video in the museum.
This is not the first time the Louvre has been featured in music videos or used as a backdrop by celebrities. In 2016, rapper Will.i.am inserted himself into famous paintings at the museum for his animated video Mona Lisa Smile. Beyonce and Jay-Z also filmed their music video Apeshit at the Louvre, utilizing iconic artworks to make a statement about black representation in classical art history. More recently, singer Celine Dion was given a private tour of the museum before her performance at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in July, generating buzz and excitement among fans and art enthusiasts.
The collaboration between Lady Gaga and the Louvre highlights the intersection of art, music, and pop culture. By incorporating the Mona Lisa, one of the most recognizable paintings in the world, into her video clip, Lady Gaga pays homage to Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece and adds a playful twist to the traditional art space. The video’s release on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok also showcases the museum’s efforts to reach a wider, younger audience through digital channels.
Overall, the video clip featuring Lady Gaga in the Louvre demonstrates the power of art to inspire and captivate audiences across different mediums. Through creative collaborations and innovative storytelling, artists like Lady Gaga can bring new life to iconic artworks and engage viewers in unique and unexpected ways. The Louvre’s willingness to experiment and collaborate with contemporary artists further cements its reputation as a cultural institution that continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of art and entertainment.
