The Louvre-Lens museum opened an exhibition called "Trop mignon! L'art du bonheur" on Wednesday, featuring over 300 artworks that explore the theme of "cuteness" across different cultures and historical periods, from ancient times to today. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, films, and books, some of which were created specifically for this event. According to Annabelle Ténèze, director of the Louvre-Lens, the show aims to highlight "cuteness" as a "refuge value" in contrast to the "noise of the world," offering "another way of living." The exhibition seeks to explore how cuteness has been used in art to evoke comfort and positivity in difficult times. The exhibition space is designed to immerse visitors in the theme of cuteness, with unique features such as a door shaped like a dog and cat head, rounded walls, a sensory room with scents and soft lighting, and a sequined floor. Visitors follow Momo, a small character with a peach head created by artist Jenny Lelong, known as Niniwanted. The exhibition includes thematic rooms dedicated to chubby babies, often depicted with wings during the Renaissance, as well as plush toys and animals. One room is filled with tapestries and features a sofa and mirror, exploring the history of pink, which has been "reinvested as a symbol of the defense of rights and equality," according to Emilie Girard, director of the Museums of Strasbourg, where the second chapter of the exhibition will be presented. The exhibition also addresses the "darker" aspects of cuteness, including photographs of animals during World War I and since 2022 in Ukraine, highlighting how cuteness has been used "as a propaganda vector" by totalitarian regimes. Contemporary works are also featured, questioning the "ambiguity of cute" through unsettling characters such as those from Gremlins, Labubu, and Derpy, the small tiger from the K-pop animated film Demon Hunters. The exhibition explores the history of "kawaii" in Japan, a term now used globally, and "aegyo" in Korean culture, a form of almost childish expression used by K-pop stars to convey positive emotions. Pascal Lièvre revisits classical paintings such as "La liberté guidant le peuple" using bright colors and sequins. The exhibition at Louvre-Lens will be open until January 18, 2027. The second chapter, "Trop mignon! La revanche du cute," will be presented at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Strasbourg from February 19 to August 29, 2027.