39 New Digital Guides for Paris-based Cultural Institutions Launching on the Bloomberg Connects App
Guides on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, will share collections with anyone in the world and enhance onsite visits to cultural organizations
Select guides now available, with more coming throughout July
Paris and New York – Today, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced that Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural app, will host digital guides for 39 world-class French institutions, most of which are Paris-based, making their collections accessible to in-person visitors and audiences around the globe via mobile phones. Select guides will be available starting in June including several in partnership with Paris Musées and Centre des Monuments Nationaux. Ready for the start of the Summer 2024 Paris Olympics, the new digital guides will offer expert insights on a range of exciting collections through text, photo, audio, and video features in an easy-to-use format. The Bloomberg Connects app provides a centralized resource for people interested in exploring Paris’ rich cultural offerings amid the Summer Games, and is available in more than 40 languages.
“The arts have the power to bring people together and strengthen a city’s economy, its shared identity, and its quality of life,†said Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies. “Through our Bloomberg Connects app, we’re glad to spotlight the extraordinary cultural vitality of Paris, and to bring some of the exciting cultural programming happening during the Paris Olympics to an even wider audience this summer.â€
“Art unites communities around shared values and builds bridges between cultures. In Paris, its influence attracts visitors from all over the world, constantly forging new links between people,†said Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo. “This summer will culminate in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and as we prepare to welcome a record number of travelers, we are delighted to be able to count on our partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies to showcase Paris’ exceptional cultural offerings to as many people as possible through the Bloomberg Connects app.â€
The following French institutions will have guides available on the Bloomberg Connects app:
- Maison Européenne de la Photographie
- Musée Nissim de Camondo
- Nuit Blanche
- Palais de Tokyo
- Réunion des Musées Nationaux – Musée du Luxembourg
- Théâtre de la Ville (Les Jeux Poétiques de Paris)
- AWARE (Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions)
- Pavillon de l’Arsenal
- Le Bal
- Catacombes de Paris (Paris Musées)
- Crypte archéologique de l’Ile de la Cité (Paris Musées)
- Maison de Balzac (Paris Musées)
- Maisons de Victor Hugo Paris – Guernesey (Paris Musées)
- Musée Bourdelle (Paris Musées)
- Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris (Paris Musées)
- Musée Cernuschi, musée des Arts de l’Asie de la Ville de Paris (Paris Musées)
- Musée Cognacq-Jay (Paris Musées)
- Musée de la Libération de Paris – musée du général Leclerc – musée Jean Moulin (Paris Musées)
- Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins (FAMM)
- Musée des Arts Décoratifs
- Musée de la Vie romantique (Paris Musées)
- Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (Paris Musées)
- Musée Zadkine (Paris Musées)
- Palais Galliera, musée de la Mode de Paris (Paris Musées)
- Petit Palais (Paris Musées)
- Château de Vincennes
- Arc de Triomphe
- Panthéon
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Tours de la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
- Hôtel de Sully
- Conciergerie
- Colonne de Juillet
- Domaine national du Palais-Royal
- Hôtel de la Marine
- Chapelle Expiatoire
- Basilique cathédrale de Saint-Denis
- Domaine national de Saint-Cloud
- Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (mahJ)
The 39 French institutions join more than 450 global cultural institutions from 24 countries with digital guides on Bloomberg Connects. The app is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ longstanding commitment to supporting digital innovation in the arts. Bloomberg Connects makes it easy to access and engage with arts and culture from mobile devices when visiting in person, or anytime from anywhere. With dynamic content exclusive to each partner organization, the app provides a range of features including video, audio, and text; expert commentary; and way-finding maps.
“Digital innovation is essential to make art and culture accessible to all. Thanks to the Bloomberg Connects app, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs can offer its visitors an even more immersive and enriching experience,†said Christine Macel, Director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. “This collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies allows us to present the richness and diversity of our collections in an interactive way, while highlighting the unique history of our museum. We are proud to reinforce our mission to make our heritage accessible to an ever wider and more diverse audience.â€
“Ever since its creation ten years ago, Paris Musées has been committed to innovation, and has never ceased to develop digital systems and online applications for the public, in order to show and share the collections of the museums of the City of Paris with as many people as possible,†said Anne-Sophie de Gasquet, director of Paris Musées. “We are delighted with this partnership which, thanks to Bloomberg Connects, will give even greater visibility and influence to the 14 sites and museums of the City of Paris. We would like to thank Bloomberg Philanthropies for their loyal commitment to our work, particularly in this Olympic year, when the museums of the City of Paris are fully committed to celebrating the Games and welcoming the world!â€
Through bold approaches and innovative partnerships, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts program supports increased access to culture through new technologies and empowers artists and cultural organizations. Bloomberg Philanthropies is also sponsoring Les Jeux Poétiques de Paris, a public program that places poetry installations and interactive poetry performances across transportation infrastructure and iconic locations throughout Paris in partnership with the Théâtre de la Ville and the Paris Université Club. The program will end on September 7, 2024 with a Paris-Los Angeles Poetic Marathon to pass the poetic flame to the City of Los Angeles which will host the Olympic Games in 2028. On June 1, Bloomberg Philanthropies supported La Nuit Blanche, an evening during which the streets and monuments of Paris were filled with contemporary art and performance. Digital guides for both of these initiatives are also available on Bloomberg Connects.
Bloomberg has a long track record of supporting ground-breaking cultural initiatives that focus on innovation and access to the arts in Paris. This includes the reopening of the Palais de Tokyo in 2001, and ambitious public art commissions such as Olafur Eliasson’s Ice Watch for COP21 in 2015, Jeff Koons’ public artwork Bouquet of Tulips in 2019, in-kind support for Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped in 2021, and the Norman Foster exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in 2023. In addition, Bloomberg Philanthropies supported Singing Trees in the Jardin du Palais Royal in 2019, the first digital festival at the Théâtre du Chatelet during the COVID-19 pandemic, and acted as a founding partner of The Good Chance Theatre Company which originated in refugee camps outside Calais. Bloomberg Philanthropies is also supporting the digitization of the archives of the Légion d’honneur. Bloomberg has corporate partnerships with Centre Pompidou, Grand Palais, Louvre, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris Musées, Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre de la Ville, and Opéra National de Paris.
Follow Bloomberg Connects on Instagram, Facebook,  X, and Threads for updates on new guide launches, exhibit highlights, and more. The Bloomberg Connects app is available for download from Google Play or the App Store or by scanning the QR code here:
About Bloomberg Philanthropies: 
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, please visit  bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.
Media Contact:
Rebecca Carriero, Bloomberg Philanthropies +1 (212) 205-0182 or rebeccac@bloomberg.org