Louvre security exposed as influencers sneak in artwork near Mona Lisa

Influencers outsmart Louvre security (instagram)

Two Belgian TikTok influencers have triggered a fresh security controversy at the Louvre Museum, just weeks after a major breach involving the theft of royal jewellery. Their latest stunt involved secretly hanging their own artwork inside the Salle des États, the gallery that houses Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The duo, identified online as Neal Reemerie and Senne Haverbeke, filmed themselves entering the museum, evading security checks and installing a self-painted portrait on a wall near the world-famous masterpiece. They said their aim was to test whether security had improved following the October 19 jewellery heist.

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A post shared by Neal & Senne (@neal_senne)

To bypass screening, the pair constructed a picture frame that could be dismantled into Lego pieces and carried through the metal detectors in a small paper bag. Their rolled-up artwork was also taken inside without raising suspicion. Once in the gallery, they quickly reassembled the frame beneath the glass pyramid and discreetly mounted the portrait on a wall, capturing the entire operation on video.

Their original plan was to place the artwork directly beside the Mona Lisa, but they abandoned the attempt after noticing an increased number of guards. Instead, they installed it several metres away, shortly before closing time as crowds thinned.

The pair are known for similar pranks, including hanging artwork inside a Belgian museum and hiding for 27 hours inside Munich’s Allianz Arena to watch the Champions League final without tickets.

The Louvre has not publicly responded to the latest breach, which has renewed concerns about the museum’s security resilience.