Finally, it's possible to admire the European collections of New York's Metropolitan Museum once again. The rooms were closed for six years, officially for a $150 million (€150 million) lighting upgrade, but also reimagine the presentation of European art. By mixing works from different origins and eras, the museum's Austrian Director and CEO, Max Hollein, 54, is seeking to shake Europe out of its ethnocentricity and ask the question: "What is Europe?"

A tour of the 45 rooms begins with El Greco's paintings (1541-1614), the largest collection outside Spain, and includes works by Picasso and Cézanne painted three centuries later. There's a room on British art in America, and another devoted to Spanish art in the empire of Mexico and Peru: born in Europe, made in the New World. Throughout the galleries, the passages from one culture to another, from one era to the next, become blurred and superimposed. "The idea that there are strong dividing lines between different cultures and countries is clearly not true," said Hollein.

It is a revival for the museum, which has seen a decline in visitors in recent years. Covid-19 took its toll, dropping attendance from a record 7.3 million in 2018 to 1.2 million in 2020. It rebounded to 5.8 million in 2023. While 90% of Americans have returned, international tourists, notably Chinese, are still hesitating and expressing dissatisfaction due to the $30 admission ticket.

At least the museum, by necessity, has solved the problem of overtourism. "The Met's philosophy has always been not to create those works that require a trip, the 'three-must-see-works.' As a Frenchman, you might say to me, that's because you don't have them! – even though our five Vermeers may be equivalent to the Mona Lisa," said Hollein. "But it helps. It's busy at the Met, but it's not crowded. We've always made sure to treat different cultures equally."

However, in addition to Covid-19, the museum, although not closed for renovation like the neighboring Frick Collection, has been a major construction site for several years. In two decades, $2 billion will have been invested. Following the reopening of the European galleries, the Rockefeller wing, which has displayed primitive art since 1982, will reopen in 2025 featuring contemporary African art. The modern works, notably the cubist art collection of billionaire Leonard Lauder, won't be displayed in their new presentation until 2029. A $125 million donation from Shanghai-born American billionaire Oscar Tang and his wife Agnes Hsu-Tang finally kickstarted the project in 2021.

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