Peek into the Louvre Abu Dhabi ahead of its grand opening
November 9, 2017
Over 10 years in the making, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the offshoot of the famous Paris art museum in the United Arab Emirates, claims to be the first truly global collection in the Arab world. Discover some highlights here.
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The spectacular architecture of the Louvre Abu Dhabi
The famous Paris art museum's new branch in the capital of the United Arab Emirates will finally open to the public. Over 10 years in the making, the Abu Dhabi Louvre's artwork showcases the universal nature of humanity.
Image: Louvre Abu Dhabi/Mohamed Somji
An icon of Abu Dhabi
The Louvre museum in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates opens to visitors on November 11. The museum complex features priceless works of art, including pieces on loan from its Parisian namesake and other French museums, as well as regional treasures from numerous civilizations and religions that have flourished throughout history in the Middle East.
Image: Louvre Abu Dhabi/Mohamed Somji
An expensive project
In 2007, the governments of France and the UAE agreed upon a 30-year-long partnership leading to the Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi. The branded gallery is estimated to be worth $1.1 billion (€919 million), with the rights to the name alone said to cost some $520 million. The museum is set in Saadiyat Island Cultural District, which aspires to be the world's largest cultural complex.
Image: AP
A decade in the works
The building was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. The main building's silvery dome allows light to flow through it, mimicking the sunlight that streams through palm fronds. The pools of water also liken the cultural complex to a desert oasis. The museum project took around 10 years to complete, and the opening ceremony was pushed back from 2012 due to construction delays.
Image: Louvre Abu Dhabi/Mohamed Somji
'See humanity in a new light'
The slogan of the new Louvre highlights the architecture's play with light while simultaneously paying tribute to the museum's stated mission to focus "on what unites us: the stories of human creativity that transcend individual cultures of civilizations, time or places." Along with a permanent collection, four temporary shows per year will showcase exhibits from ancient to current times.
Image: Louvre Abu Dhabi/Mohamed Somji
Cultural cooperation or sell out?
With this project, the Louvre joins other top museums like the Guggenheim that have opened international locations. Critics have accused the French museum of "selling out" by prioritizing profit over artistic integrity. Allegations of worker exploitation also dogged construction. However, the project's leaders have argued that the partnership and collection testify to cross-cultural understanding.
Image: Louvre Abu Dhabi/Mohamed Somji
A grand opening celebration
A regular priced ticket to enter the museum costs 60 UAE dirham (around $16). The museum is open every day except Mondays. Many items on display will be in Abu Dhabi for the first time, including works by Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci and Paul Gauguin. The first four opening days will also feature world music stars, dance events, workshops and family activities.
Image: Louvre Abu Dhabi/Mohamed Somji
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The museum's original scheduled opening date was set for 2012, but it was delayed multiple years due to construction issues. The Louvre Abu Dhabi will finally open its doors to the public for the first time on November 11, 2017.
On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron dedicated a part of his state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to inaugurate the new branch of the Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi.
Macron praised the aesthetics of the structure, saying that architect Jean Nouvel "has created a temple of beauty." He also added that Abu Dhabi is at the center of the regional tensions whose conflicts have been affecting the entire world. He expressed hope that the beauty of art would create a bridge between continents, quoting the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky, "Beauty will save the world."
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, was also astonished by the museum, saying that the Louvre Abu Dhabi is the cultural pride of the nation. "It will bring together East and West, demonstrating our ability to fight the dark with light," he said.
The construction of the museum was not without controversies, however, with many criticizing the working conditions. Workers reported low wages and having their passports taken. In addition, two workers died on site.
The French side underlined that conditions of the collaboration were clear in such matters and that proper standards of working conditions were observed.
Elaborate design
French architect Jean Nouvel drew on the Emirati kingdom's nature environment in his building design. The modernist museum sits under a honeycombed dome of eight layers of Arab-style geometric shapes. The reflections created by these shapes recall translucent palm fronds.
At 7,500 tons, the dome alone weighs more than the Eiffel Tower in Paris (7,300 tons).
The dome houses 55 buildings, with a permanent gallery space covering 6,400 square meters (68,890 square feet). The museum displays 620 artworks and artifacts, 235 of which are loaned from other institutions.
The permanent exhibition aims to tell the world's "universal narrative" in 12 "gallery chapters." Abu Dhabi's conservatism can be noticed in the relative absence of pieces depicting nudity. Still, the museum's brief history of the world sets major religions side by side, without shying away from Judaism.