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| Google Cultural Institute's Paris opening snubbed by French minister | Google Cultural Institute's Paris opening snubbed by French minister |
| (2 days later) | |
| The magnificent "hotel particulier" at 8 rue de Londres in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, seemed real enough … even if the people inside had their head in the Cloud. | The magnificent "hotel particulier" at 8 rue de Londres in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, seemed real enough … even if the people inside had their head in the Cloud. |
| There was no company name anywhere on the tall, stone building, but the mock street sign near the entrance suggesting "I'm feeling lucky" was a giveaway. | There was no company name anywhere on the tall, stone building, but the mock street sign near the entrance suggesting "I'm feeling lucky" was a giveaway. |
| After much knocking the door opened. "Is this the new Google Cultural Institute?" | After much knocking the door opened. "Is this the new Google Cultural Institute?" |
| "Yes," the man at the door replied. "So it does exist?" | "Yes," the man at the door replied. "So it does exist?" |
| "Yes, but not for another hour when it opens." | "Yes, but not for another hour when it opens." |
| The Google Cultural Institute, which until 5pm on Tuesday existed only the internet, took on a physical form with its inauguration in the real building housing Google's Paris headquarters. | The Google Cultural Institute, which until 5pm on Tuesday existed only the internet, took on a physical form with its inauguration in the real building housing Google's Paris headquarters. |
| If Google was "feeling lucky" about its new project in France, a country that has tended to see the American technology group as something of a cultural predator, it was wildly over-optimistic. | If Google was "feeling lucky" about its new project in France, a country that has tended to see the American technology group as something of a cultural predator, it was wildly over-optimistic. |
| The culture minister, Aurélie Filippetti, who hours earlier had promised to inaugurate the institute, cancelled at the last minute. And no amount of computer technology could change that. | The culture minister, Aurélie Filippetti, who hours earlier had promised to inaugurate the institute, cancelled at the last minute. And no amount of computer technology could change that. |
| "Despite the quality of the projects concerned, I don't wish to appear as a guarantee for an operation that still raises a certain number of questions," Filipetti said on Tuesday. | "Despite the quality of the projects concerned, I don't wish to appear as a guarantee for an operation that still raises a certain number of questions," Filipetti said on Tuesday. |
| Google says its institute will be open to "students, artists, curators, and other figures of the cultural world" and be a centre for conferences, debates, a showroom for technology, and a space for contemporary art exhibitions. It says the institute is an extension of its Google Art Project. | Google says its institute will be open to "students, artists, curators, and other figures of the cultural world" and be a centre for conferences, debates, a showroom for technology, and a space for contemporary art exhibitions. It says the institute is an extension of its Google Art Project. |
| The project, which started with 17 museums and galleries across the world including the Tate in London and MoMA in New York, has about 300 collaborating art institutions and holds high-definition images of 53,000 works of art. In France, the Palace of Versailles and the Musée d'Orsay were among the first to join. | The project, which started with 17 museums and galleries across the world including the Tate in London and MoMA in New York, has about 300 collaborating art institutions and holds high-definition images of 53,000 works of art. In France, the Palace of Versailles and the Musée d'Orsay were among the first to join. |
| The institute will also feature the "Lab", an art project which will invite artists in residence and be equipped with a giant screen, a 3D camera, printer and other digital tools. Google says artists and galleries will be able to use its technology. | The institute will also feature the "Lab", an art project which will invite artists in residence and be equipped with a giant screen, a 3D camera, printer and other digital tools. Google says artists and galleries will be able to use its technology. |
| French ministers have expressed concern about Google's "optimisation" of tax breaks, its failure to address pirate internet sites, copyright, the protection of internet users' personal details and what is seen as unfair competition with French technological sites. | |
| Nick Leeder, director general of Google France, said he was surprised by Filippetti's no-show, a slight somewhat soothed by the presence of Fleur Pellerin, junior minister for innovation and digital technology. | Nick Leeder, director general of Google France, said he was surprised by Filippetti's no-show, a slight somewhat soothed by the presence of Fleur Pellerin, junior minister for innovation and digital technology. |
| • This article was amended on 12 December 2013 to remove a sentence that said internet users needed a Google email address to interact with the Cultural Institute website. Users do not need to sign in to access the archives. | |
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