Abu Dhabi: Picasso and Manet will make their debut in an exclusive look into the Abu Dhabi Louvre’s permanent collection which will be available to the public on April 22.
Among the 130 artworks to be exhibited at Manarat Al Saadiyat’s Cultural District, paintings, sculptures, artefacts and other valuables will be showcased – some for the first time.
“The Birth of a Museum exhibition is a prime example of tolerance, knowledge and education as artworks demonstrating different religions, sensitive issues and other valuable lessons in this exhibition,” said the exhibition’s general curator, Laurence des Cars.
As opposed to the Louvre Museum in France, the Abu Dhabi edition will offer up Asian masterpieces. “The art works which the public will see will not be limited to European art. Instead, they will also include items from Asia, which is not customary in the French Louvre,” des Cars said.
Other sources include Egypt, Turkey, Greece and Mali are only some of the places where the artworks originate from.
“This is the only museum, as far as I know, that has been born out of diplomatic relations between two countries. France and the UAE have made this agreement as far back as 30 years ago,” she added.
The initial phase of the museum, which is expected to open in 2015, will contain 300 works leant from different French museums. The pieces will be rotated and then French support will gradually lessen within Abu Dhabi Louvre’s first 10 years until it is completely independent, according to museum officials.
“These pieces were collected over the past four years and are portrayed in a contemporary manner which reflects the globalised world we live in and attempts to find a common ground linking different cultures and eras,” des Cars said.
Art lovers from all over the world can visit the exhibition when it opens its doors on Monday, April 22. “From 9am until 8pm daily, until the 20th of July, members of the public can enjoy this sneak peek into what will be a true symbol of cultural, historical and human value for years to come,” said Nada Salem, a spokesperson from the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA).
