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Abu Dhabi new home for global museums

Art lovers are anticipating the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, currently in its final stages of construction. The museum will be a universal one that aims to translate the exchange of cultures through art works from ancient to contemporary eras.
With over 8.3 million visitors, the Louvre in Paris was ranked the world's most visited museum in 2015; however, Louvre Abu Dhabi is also set to take the rank.
Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the museum represents an Arab city with its 23 permanent galleries, temporary exhibition space, a children's museum, as well as a research centre. The contrasting series of white buildings, as well as the magnificent iconic dome, inspired by the shadows of overlapping palm trees in UAE's oases, and with its location overlooking the sea, visitors will witness the airy sense of light the building oozes.
The art works originate from civilisations all over the world, highlighting universal themes, rather than being segregated, as is often shown in Western museums. Themes include the portrayal of power by rulers, representing the divine, exploring unknown lands and the dawn of globalisation.
Louvre Abu Dhabi has acquired more than 600 pieces of art in 23 galleries, including series and coll-ections, some of which will be exhibited with 300 loaned works from 13 leading French institutions.
Masterpieces by the Italian Ren-aissance man himself - Leonardo Da Vinci - will be on display, as well as those of French Impressionist Claude Monet, and masters Vincent Van Gogh and Matisse.
Lourve Abu Dhabi has also commissioned two internationally acclaimed artists to create site-specific artworks that will be displayed in the museum when it opens in 2017. Jean Nouvel's 'museum city' with its streets, plazas and waterways, will feature art exhibited both inside and outside the galleries. Giuseppe Penone and Jenny Holzer have worked closely with the Louvre Abu Dhabi team to develop sculptures and installations reflecting the universal stories of the museum. These are only the first of a number of commissions.
Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, said the museum's vision is to reflect the universal nature of art making. "We have commissioned contemporary works by internationally renowned artists Giuseppe Penone and Jenny Holzer. The artists' works are inspired by the museum's iconic architecture and diverse stories and play an important role in connecting the cultures and civilisations of our past with the relevant ongoing conversations and artistic practices of today."
Italian artist Penone, one of the youngest members of the Arte Povera movement, has created 'Germination', a four-part installation that reveals the artist's fascination for organic materials, such as trees, to highlight the connection between man, nature and art.
The central element of the installation is Penone's 'Leaves of Light', a vast bronze tree, which interacts with Jean Nouvel's architectural design through mirrors placed on its branches, reflecting the rain of light. Soaring towards the dome covering the museum's outdoor walkways, the tree becomes a symbol of life. Penone explained the importance of merging art with the museum's architecture:
"The artworks I have developed for Louvre Abu Dhabi inscribe themselves in the place, underscoring aspects of its architectural form and content. The pieces that make up 'Germination' echo the museum's universal spirit."
Through an exceptional collaboration with the workshops of Sèvres - Cité de la céramique, Penone has also created several works including 'Propagation', a wall of porcelain tiles representing concentric circles drawn by hands. The lines of the drawing germinate from Shaikh Zayed's fingerprint to show how a simple action can create an infinite space.
American artist Holzer, has created three engraved stonewalls of texts from important historical sources from across the world. These walls will feature excerpts from Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah from the Atif Efendi Library collection in Istanbul, the Mesopotamian bilingual (Acadian Sumerian) Creation Myth tablet from the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin, and the 1588 annotated edition of Michel de Montaigne's Essais from the Bordeaux Municipal Library.
"Louvre Abu Dhabi set an ambitious agenda for itself, and raises lively questions about museums and civilisations. It's a privilege and a challenge to realise an installation that joins Jean Nouvel's architecture and that speaks with the fantastic works the museum will display," said Jenny Holzer. "I made my walls in close relation to Nouvel's building, which I saw as an ideal village under a most beautiful futuristic sky dome."
Works from the permanent collection will be displayed alongside these commissions in the outdoor areas of the museum. Recreating the atmosphere of an Islamic courtyard, an Ottoman octagonal fountain and pavement (18th Century, Damascus, Syria) will be integrated in a contemporary scenography flooded with light.
Other museums coming up
Another magnificent museum to look forward to is Zayed National Museum, also located at the centre of Saadiyat Cultural District.
It will become a national museum, sitting alongside Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and will be a place for Emiratis to honour their cultural heritage, explore and affirm their identity.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, also in the making, will be the preeminent platform for contemporary art and culture, encompassing art from the 1960s to the present day.
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com