This summer in Abu Dhabi, residents and visitors alike have a chance to take a first look at the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection. On April 22, an exhibition that displays a large selection of what the museum is going to hold opened its doors to the public. Called “Birth of a Museum”, the exhibition showcases 130 artworks that have been acquired by the Government of Abu Dhabi to be part of the permanent collection of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The exhibition, which runs until July 20, offers a taste of the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, set to open in 2015. Under the theme of universality, the museum’s collection has been built to include artworks from different civilisations around the world, from the most ancient times to the contemporary period, with the objective of reflecting on the connections between them.
A book under the same name — “Birth of a Museum” — was also been released at the time of the opening of the exhibition. It has detailed information on the 300 artworks purchased for the Louvre Abu Dhabi collection so far.
Hessa Al Daheri, project Manager of Louvre Abu Dhabi, spoke with Weekend Review about how “Birth of a Museum” came about, what it has on show and the feedback since its opening. Excerpts:
When did you decide to put this exhibition together, and why?
This exhibition is part of several activities that we’ve been doing leading up to the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. We started to do prefiguration activities since 2009. We first had a small presentation on the first 19 pieces that we had acquired for the [permanent] collection and then continuing from that we’ve had a series of talks from 2011 up until today on a monthly basis. We consider this exhibition the first large-scale selection of our collection. It’s all part of the process leading up to the museum, part of building an audience, part of sharing the content and sharing the development of the museum with the people of the society. We consider “Birth of a Museum” one of the milestones that we’ve been planning since 2009.
Why do you think it’s so significant?
It’s definitely getting people excited about the Louvre Abu Dhabi. It’s also creating links with the people, who are starting to feel like they know the museum. A lot of people ask about what is going to be in the Louvre Abu Dhabi and I always say, “If you want to know what’s in the Louvre Abu Dhabi, then you have to attend one of [our] programmes.”
How would you describe “Birth of a Museum”?
While “Birth of a Museum” is a large-scale selection of our collection, it also gives people a taste of what the Louvre Abu Dhabi is going to be about. In this exhibition people get to see artworks connect with one another and similarities between civilisations. It showcases the birth of this concept, the birth of the universal museum, taking you from antiquity all the way to contemporary time.
Can you tell us a little more about these pieces on display?
The pieces come from all the different civilisations and regions and the exhibition creates links between the different civilisations by presenting the art pieces next to each other. In a book published under the same name, there’s detailed information on the 300 pieces of artwork [acquired so far]. Owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, the collection is constantly growing.
When did you first start acquiring artwork?
We started to acquire artwork at the inception of the project, that is in around 2009. We’ve been constantly acquiring since then.
Why do you think this project is so important?
People finally get to see live what this museum is going to be about. What I think is really fantastic about the collection and the exhibition is this concept of universality where we put artworks from different civilisations next to each other trying to find connections, trying to create those links and allowing people to reflect on how humans have developed from antiquity until modern times.
What should people expect when they visit “Birth of a Museum”?
When you walk into the exhibition, you see an introduction room where three pieces are on display, two from ancient times and one modern. When you see these pieces and you try to reflect on what brings them together, you see that humans through the ages have always been trying to represent themselves, trying to depict the human body, and what art is about. This is how you walk into the exhibition, where you trace the development of human artistic expression, moving on to the ancient world, to art and religion, then the Eastern depiction of art and then the Western depiction, before you see the mix of artwork based on fantasies and dreams that came about by contact between different cultures. Finally, you move into the contemporary section where you see a Cy Twombly piece, which was painted when the artist was in his 80s, almost his final years. You see this huge painting that has a strong blue backdrop with some sort of script or calligraphy that he used. In a way, he said his last words through this piece. It’s really interesting how this connects with the introduction room where humans were trying to make their first footprint.
At the exhibition, there are a lot of mediation tools that explain the artwork and videos that show you how these pieces came about through contact with different civilisations. Alongside, we’ve got an online application, like an audio guide [that can be downloaded] on iPads and mini iPods.
Why have those particular pieces been chosen to be part of the Louvre Abu Dhabi permanent collection?
It all goes back to the narrative of a universal museum. In this narrative, we’re trying to take people from the ancient to modern times, so people can see movement of style from one civilisation to the other. All the pieces that have been chosen tell a piece of the story of human connection through artwork.
Is it true that some of the pieces had not gone on display until now?
Yes, some of the pieces had not been on display before, such as Picasso’s, “Portrait of a Lady”. It was with the family that owned the piece and was passed on from one generation to another. This is the first time it’s been exhibited.
How has the feedback been so far since the opening of the exhibition?
It’s been fantastic. The tours are overbooked and you’ve got schools and universities coming in, so it’s been really great.
Should we expect more exhibitions such as this one before the grand opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi?
We haven’t revealed any [plans for upcoming] exhibitions right now, but we will do so as the time comes. We will be holding programmes until the opening of the museum.
Samia Badih is a writer based in Abu Dhabi.
Side bar
A shared human history
“Birth of a Museum” is the first large-scale presentation of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s permanent collection. Unveiled on April 22, the show runs until July 20 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the art exhibition centre on Saadiyat Island. Showcasing 130 artworks, the exhibition reflects the universal narrative of the museum, with artefacts from all over the world — including Egypt, Turkey, Greece and Mali — showcasing the breadth of great civilisations and illustrating links arising from shared human experience transcending geography, nationality and history.
All works and artists had been chosen to present a singular and original reading of the history of art, built around several key artistic and aesthetic questions core to the identity of the new museum.
A book detailing the 300 pieces acquired so far was launched during the opening of the exhibition. It tells the story of the creation of the institution and the way in which a collection of exceptional quality is being assembled. Louvre Abu Dhabi and its collection are owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi.
The general curator of “Birth of a Museum” is Laurence des Cars. He is assisted by a Louvre Abu Dhabi team from AFM and Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority. The museography for the exhibition was completed by architect Jean-François Bodin.
Date: Until July 20
Time: 9am to 8pm
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
www.saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae
