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'We reinvented the museum model for Arab world': Louvre Abu Dhabi director on tackling 10,000 years of history through art

Manuel Rabaté, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, on newer ways of engaging with audiences

Walking through Louvre Abu Dhabi permanent galleries is akin to being in a time machine. From prehistoric material objects to Renaissance masterpieces to contemporary works of art, a walk down the Louvre is a reminder of why humanity needs art. It is in art that we map our evolution, document societal changes and register our views. While the Louvre in Paris is already a prestigious institution whose contribution to history is immeasurable, the Abu Dhabi chapter has been instrumental in opening a new window to peek into the Middle East.

For seven years, as the man at the helm of Louvre Abu Dhabi, Manuel Rabaté has seen the Middle Eastern chapter of the iconic museum evolve into a regional landmark. From understanding and accommodating the needs of local artists to displaying some of the most iconic works of art, Louvre Abu Dhabi has come full circle when it comes to spotlighting art. In a conversation with wknd., Rabaté, who started his career with Louvre in Paris, speaks at length about striking a balance between classic and contemporary art and newer ways of engaging with audiences. Edited excerpts from an interview:

From the time you took over as the director of Louvre Abu Dhabi to now, how do you map the evolution of the museum?

I became the director in 2016 and have been involved in the project since 2008. I saw its conception from being a project to a museum open to the public. These are the moments when a project becomes a real institution. Once it opened, we focused on exhibitions, developed the collections, and reached out to more people. It’s a story of continuous development.

The museum is even stronger today in its narrative, in the programming, showcasing of artworks, and in the demand. It was visited by 1.2 million people last year from across the region and globe and became one of the most visited museums in the world, rated number 52 by the Art Newspaper in 2024. We have seen success in terms of footfall and struck the right balance between quality and quantity. I also like the balance the museum has been able to strike in terms of appealing to Emirati families and youth and tourists. (International visitors accounted for 72 per cent and UAE residents accounted for 28 per cent of the footfall).

Also, we were three years old when the pandemic hit. So, I had the chance to open not once but twice. We reopened in 100 days and did not shut again, which is not something museums in other parts of the world could do. We kept the programmes open, continued to exhibit, and managed to monitor footfall without compromising on safety.

What impact have you made in broadening the scope of opportunities for local artists?

We have opened this access to art as a source of inspiration. As an institution, we are tackling 10,000 years of history. Contemporary art is towards the end of the museum, because the permanent gallery collection is arranged chronologically. Contemporary art is part of the universal story of Abu Dhabi. We always managed to tell the story of the world locally through art. We are a global institution, but we have to tackle the region, which is extremely important in the story of the world.

One of our key projects for contemporary artists working here is Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here, which is a beautiful exhibition (in its fourth year) and features contemporary art created specifically for this occasion. Each time, we get an international jury to select the best work of art. We have curators who work closely with selected artists to see how best art can be displayed.

Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille gives a generous prize to the winner. This is a good way to allow artists to use the museum space in order to get recognised. Because of our activities, masterclasses and workshops, we have also had prominent artists participating in our programmes. Najat Makki, a great Emirati artist, did a show with children of determination under the dome. I think there are many ways that local artists get to interact with us.

Anybody in your shoes will also be confronted with the question of balancing classical works of art with modern ones.

We are helped by the strength of the universal narrative that was reinvented for Abu Dhabi. Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first universal museum of the Arab world, which means we are connected to a very old history of the universal encyclopedic museum, which was mainly developed in the West. But this model has been reinvented in the heart of the Arab world. We are focusing on connection and narrative. We have a department of paintings, and within that department, you have Italian, Dutch, French paintings.

In Abu Dhabi, we have a chronological approach, which is like sitting in a time machine, you walk through time to see civilisation evolving and exchanging dialogue, and you see this through art. It’s extremely structured to have this anthropological approach. We are embracing 10,000 years of history. We are museum of objects, we are looking at material production of humanity. It showcases continuation of creativity. This helps strike a balance. The more you advance the more time is accelerating. Multiplication of techniques and mechanisms are the story and framework we work with. In all our exhibitions, there is a connection with contemporary art, and it currently sits at the last section of the permanent galleries.

How has digital transformation impacted art?

There is a little paradox here. We are museum of objects. It’s part of the DNA of the museum to build a collection, which can be deemed a collection that is part of Abu Dhabi and the Department of Culture and Tourism. Part of it are loans coming from French museums and those coming from our partners around the world. We want to use technology in a way that is amplifying our relationship with the artworks. Digital tools should be able to help in doing this.

The app of Louvre Abu Dhabi is like a personal usher. What kind of tour do I want? Do I want to see everything in 30 minutes? Do I want storytelling accompanying every art? It allows you to navigate the works in a manner you want. The amplification that can be achieved with technology is unparalleled. It can also be used as a way to create new games that appeal to young visitors, such as Secret of the Dome Stars that uses an animated sand fox, Volpi, to guide visitors on looking at the artwork.

In the past decade, there has been a growing awareness in the region on art fostering cultural diplomacy. How does it do so?

It’s true that museums and cultural participation play a role in crafting the image that a nation is broadcasting to the world. In our case, what is beautiful is that it is a meeting point of two states — France and the UAE. Both want to broadcast their commitment to the dialogue on culture. It is extremely powerful for a state like the UAE to have this rich cultural ecosystem. A family of museums across the region is an amplification of the vitality of the country at this moment. It is an investment in the social fabric of the country.

Saadiyat Cultural District is a game-changer in terms of cultural diplomacy with world-class cultural institutions within walking distance. Louvre Abu Dhabi is a fantastic tool to navigate globalisation for the Emiratis and people living here. No matter which part of the world you are from, you will find an object talking to you. And this ability to connect with the story of the world is important. We work with Department of Culture and Tourism, which is also fostering an incredible programme of arts and culture. We are maybe one of the flagships of an important fleet of cultural institutions.

What are some of the most contemporary curation practices you have brought to the Louvre Abu Dhabi?

The key one was the de-compartmentalisation of knowledge connection. In the same showcase, you would have artworks from different civilisations having common traits. This is extremely innovative, and was invented here. The use of gamification and edutainment elements within the storytelling of the museum is also unique. We are a very new museum. We have had to accelerate a few processes. This way of amplifying the experience is also a new way to look at art. Most national museums have one language or two at best — language of the country and one more — to be welcoming. In our case, from Day 1, we have embraced as many languages as we can. This is a new way to curate the experience of the museum to an international audience.

Do you foresee using artificial intelligence when it comes to curation?

Not a new way to curate but a way to curate the experience. Behind every acceleration of technology, we need to understand what the exact transformation will be. Photography, for example, did not kill painting. In fact, it supported some of the painters. It’s clear how AI will change lives in terms of research and analysing data, but it is unclear how it will enhance art.

We are often told the young are disconnected from art. What steps have you taken consciously to draw the Gen-Z crowd?

Because we are not a classical museum, we have a good number of Gen-Z and Gen Alpha visitors. There are many things we do that capture the attention of the young. Gamification being a case in point. Of course, the museum is a place of authority because of the importance of artwork and knowledge. But even in this place of authority, you can build your own experiences. You can, at the same time, just be yourself, which is what the new generation is looking for. They are refusing a model that’s pre-imposed. Gen-Z cares about mindfulness and quality of living. A museum is a meditative space to contemplate.

They want sustainability and are climate conscious. We stand for those same values. We have turtles rescued by the National Aquarium. Families come to watch them. The first year we freed turtles, a day later, one of them came back (laughs).

There is not one integrated strategy but a constellation of ideas. Because we are seven years old as an institution, we have embraced these modern values. We are the connect between the rest of the world and what Abu Dhabi has to offer.

What are the highlights for the rest of the year?

The next couple of months are very important. In September, we will showcase this little rocket that Sultan Al Neyadi took with him to space (he is a fan of Tintin). We once did an exhibition in collaboration with MBRSC. He saw that we had a big one installed and said, ‘I will bring you mine’ (laughs). And he came back and brought this. We will exhibit the rocket that went to space. The Art Here exhibition will launch in September. We will be hosting a beautiful exhibition on post-impressionism in October. In November, Leonardo da Vinci’s St John the Baptist goes but we will get a masterpiece of Islamic art from the Louvre, the Pyxis of Al Mughira. Then we have Kings and Queens of Africa, which will be one of the biggest exhibitions on African art.

anamika@khaleejtimes.com

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