The Louvre Abu Dhabi Grand Opening: A Wider Perspective on Human History
Next weekend, the first universal museum of the Arab world will open its doors to the public — showcasing not only Arab and regional art in a historical context, but also works from around the world. The impressive structure is one of the milestones in the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces. If you plan on buying a ticket for next weekend, here is what you should look out for.
The Grand Opening
The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s four-day opening celebration will be marked by an array of multicultural music, arts and dance performances, and educational workshops. The opening events happening at the Louvre Abu Dhabi were curated by the museum in collaboration with Agence French Museums, as well as artistic and programming advisor Arwad Esber. It will be attended by several VIP guests, including French president Emmanuel Macron.
Four concerts will take place, featuring the following stars as headliners:
· 11 November: French singer and rock guitarist Matthieu Chedid, who goes by stage name -M-
· 12 November: Malian singer, dancer, musician & actress Fatoumata Diamara
· 13 November: Lebanese jazz and world music icon Ibrahim Maalouf
· 14 November: Singer and Dancer Toto La Momoposina
Apart from the concerts, the opening will also hold more activities — such as a flyover from an Etihad A380, the world’s largest passenger airline; a performance from Indian bamboo flute player Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia; a performance between Franco-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyen Le and the Baraji Ensemble from Korea; and the Dogon Masks Dance, a routine performed by the Dogon people of Central Mali, by the country’s Awa Troupe of Sangha.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi recently announced through its social media channels that they will be releasing one thousand additional tickets to accommodate more people for the opening. Tickets are AED 60 for adults, and AED 30 for 13–22-year-olds as well as for educational professionals. The tickets are available at the Louvre Abu Dhabi website.
The Architecture
Long before you step inside, the magnificent domed roof will catch your attention. It is inspired by the way dappled light filtered through the palm trees native to the streets of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, its falaj-inspired water system and its roof, is designed by architect Jean Nouvel, winner of the 2008 Pritzker Prize.
The dome, also known as the Rain of Light, achieves the dappled-light effect through eight layers of metal stars which form 7,850 stars overall. Despite its delicate and lightweight appearance, it weighs as much as the Eiffel Tower!
The Museum Proper
There will be twenty-three galleries, twelve chapters and more than six hundred permanent exhibits at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
It is the first museum in the Arab region which displays artworks and artefacts of different eras, starting from the Paleolithic era. Its future collections will be complemented by loans from leading French museums. Unlike many regional museums, it will run a website with details on its collections and other information.
Abu Dhabi is also working on its own national collection. Many are looking forward to seeing the curation of these artistic and historical items, as well as the increase in their value over time, since so few of them exist in the open market.
In addition to being a home for works of art and culture, some are looking forward to the new museum playing a role in identifying looted regional items and storing them until they are ready for repatriation to their respective country of origin.
The museum will also hold seminars, talks, and conferences throughout the year to help spread knowledge on culture and the arts.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s universal approach is strategic because it reflects the city’s position in the middle of the North and South, the East and West, as well as its role in the days of the Silk Route, when the region linked Europe and the Indian Ocean, which opened exchanges between Asia and Africa. The museum — and the Saadiyat Cultural District it is built in — will become the go-to places for people all over the world to visit and assimilate the different ideas and culture.
An appreciation of different cultures, aesthetics, and artistic traditions is essential in navigating the increasingly globalized world we live in. For centuries, Euro-centric ideas of beauty and aesthetics have defined art and culture because most of the world-famous museums are situated in the Northern Hemisphere. This new museum, with displays on Quranic manuscripts, modern Arabic Hurufism art, and Emirati garments, is a big step forward in painting a more holistic picture of the history of human heritage.
