The Musée du Louvre and Snapchat have launched “The Incredible Unknowns of the Louvre,” a free augmented reality (AR) experience featuring six works from the museum’s collection. The initiative, which began on February 18, marks the second major collaboration between the two organizations following a 2023 pilot focused on ancient Egyptian antiquities.

How It Works

Visitors activate each AR experience by scanning a QR code on the artwork’s label, opening a digital layer accessible directly on their smartphone. Snap’s AR Studio Paris developed the experiences in collaboration with Louvre curators, drawing on archival materials and scholarly references.

The six works covered span multiple departments and historical periods: the Code of Hammurabi, the Bust of Akhenaten, the Portrait of Anne of Cleves, the Kore of Samos, the Four Captives, and Rustic Figulines. 

The AR overlays allow visitors to view reconstructed colors and forms that have deteriorated over time, decode artistic techniques, and surface contextual information embedded in the works.

Global Accessibility

Beyond the museum walls, Snap and the Louvre are offering a separate experience accessible to Snapchat users worldwide. Available through the app’s Lens carousel or by scanning banners installed around the museum, the experience reveals animated marble blocks in 3D and identifies each artwork’s location within the Louvre’s departments.

Broader AR Strategy

The Louvre collaboration is part of a pattern of Snap deploying AR technology at major European cultural institutions. 

In July 2025, Snap launched “Dansez Versailles” at the Palace of Versailles, integrating four AR lenses into the palace’s official mobile application to recreate baroque dances at specific garden locations. The company reported nearly 94 million monthly active users across the EU in its most recent DSA (Digital Services Act) Transparency Report, with France representing its largest European market at nearly 27 million users.

Snap has also applied similar AR frameworks to commercial partnerships. Its Snapchat Winter Village, active through December 2025, brought luxury brands Chopard, BOSS, and Lancôme together in a single AR shopping environment spanning multiple markets, including France, the United States, and the United Kingdom.