UNESCO opens its doors for “European Night of Museums”

• © UNESCO/Michel Ravassard

For the first time, UNESCO will participate this year in the European Night of Museums and open its doors* to the public on 16 May. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the premises free of charge and view some of the art objects on display.

From 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. (last entry at midnight), visitors can admire works including “The Fall of Icarus” by Pablo Picasso; the “Spiral” mobile by Alexander Calder; Isamu Noguchi’s “Peace Fountain” and “Japanese Garden”; the “Wall of the Sun” and “The Wall of the Moon” by Joan Miró and Josep Llorens Artigas; “Walking Man” by Alberto Giacometti; an untitled tapestry by Le Corbusier; and a mural by Rufino Tamayo, “Prometheus Bringing Fire to Mankind”.

Thanks to the generosity of artists and Member States, UNESCO’s artistic heritage is the largest within the United Nations system. The collection was started more than 50 years ago, coinciding with the construction of Headquarters.

UNESCO thus extends its patronage to the European Night of Museums, an initiative by the Council of Europe linked to celebrations for "International Museum Day" on 18 May, launched by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). UNESCO aims to highlight the role of museums in promoting cultural exchange, education, development of mutual understanding and peace among peoples.