Louvre Abu Dhabi is a cultural exchange at its best!
The UAE and France formed a partnership for cultural exchange, the highlight of which was the establishment of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. This agreement happened in 2007, and it opened in 2017. I will not say I have a solid attachment to the Louvre Paris, but it still has a particular part in my heart. On my first Inter-rail trip in my early twenties, my first stop was in Paris. I had to visit the standard tourist attractions, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. At that time, the Glass Pyramid was not erected yet, but I have also been there since and seen that.
Getting to Abu Dhabi from Dubai
I was interested in a day trip to Abu Dhabi when planning my trip to Oman and the UAE. I could have booked with an agency and a bus, but then you are pretty restricted. This would also be my last day on the trip, so I was dependent on bringing my luggage. And my departure was after midnight. Long before the trip, I had been chatting with a gay guy living in Dubai, and he told me he used to do some guiding on the side. So, I contacted him again and asked if he could pick me up in Dubai, drive me to Abu Dhabi, and then take me to the airport late in the evening.
He was going to pick me up early in the afternoon. However, around half an hour before, he wrote that his car had broken down. This was a Friday afternoon, the prayer time for Muslims, so all the mechanics were closed for some hours. After a while, he wrote that he would rent a car to take me to Abu Dhabi. We started a bit delayed from Dubai, so we had to drop the first stop I had planned, a nature reserve; however, the Museum and the Mosque were more important to me.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi
We arrived at the museum just before it started to get dark, and I walked around to get the best views of it as it is designed as a “seemingly floating dome structure”. At the same time, they started a drone light show, as you can see in the picture above. You could hear the sounds of several drones, and they made so many different formations, and it was coming and going several times during my hours there. The museum does not look so magnificent from ashore, but it made me curious about how it was inside.
Inside are several square white marble blocks of buildings, and above them, its web-patterned dome, “Leaves of Light”, allows the sun to filter through. The overall effect is meant to represent rays of sunlight passing through. One feels the roof hover over the buildings and the central space, and that is because no outer walls follow the roof edge.
In the space between the marble buildings that host the exhibitions, there is a waste space formed almost like a square, and you find water ponds everywhere. Since the walls are white, they are also used as screens for colourful video designs at night. I have to say, I found the “outside” under the dome to be just as interesting as the exhibitions inside.
Louis Cartier
The temporary exhibition was called Cartier: Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design. Several beautiful jewels were displayed, and you learned how Islamic art had inspired some of his work. There were once three Cartier brothers who worked together and created the world-famous name and business. They had shops in London and New York. This exhibition was worth the trip on its own.
This museum is in a strict Muslim country, so one would think they would have limitations on exhibit images and statues. Thankfully, they do not. I also like the contrasts in the picture above, the very modern and traditional clothing. Not that I think women should dress like this, but at least they are free to walk around and enjoy the museum.
The museums aim
The museum will showcase work from multiple French museums, including the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Palace of Versailles. It will show all kinds of artistic creations. It will set up a dialogue between west and east, between north and south. Art from the Middle East will also be shown in the Louvre Abu Dhabi. I am so glad my driver made the effort to get me to Abu Dhabi. Let me know if you ever need a guide for a day in Dubai or the surrounding area, and I will make the connections.
Saadiyat Island
The island that houses the Louvre Abu Dhabi has a large area called the cultural district. Several museums and cultural projects, like the Yayed National Museum, are under construction here. Maybe I will have to come back here one day. In my last post from UAE, I am heading for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
