Opinion | Columnists
A cause celebre for culture
Initiatives such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi are a perfect step in the grand artistic scheme of things.
- By Vinita Bharadwaj, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 00:00 May 4, 2007
Last week at the Louvre in Paris, a Russian-sounding couple asked a Frenchwoman, who was part of the staff, whether "a Saudi king had bought the museum."
The otherwise expressionless woman suddenly displayed signs of life as her eyes widened and she shook her head in great despair, before mouthing off a random mix of "Oui" and "Yes".
Assumedly referring to the announcement of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, it was apparent that the Parisians were still unable to get over what they perceived as a loss of their "national legacy."
When the French Ministry of Culture announced the signing of the final contracts almost two months ago, there was widespread criticism, which clearly has not abated. If it were not for the country's Presidential elections, the debate would probably have been kept alive and well.
The overall belief, the Parisians say, is that art must not be "compromised" With little or no awareness of the "deal" itself, any reference to it results in moans over losing Mona, a body language of bereavement smacked with an attitude of arrogance, and, of course, that classic shrug of the shoulders.
To their credit though, they do acknowledge that the Louvre's legacy is "helped" by the presence of the inheritances and heritages of civilisations, cultures and countries that are anything but French.
It is difficult to reason when such passions are aroused. They view it as a sell-out. They don't see it as sharing. "Commercialisation of art" they say in their endearing accents.
In a bid to assuage the emotions, a PR strategy saw some French media report the Louvre Abu Dhabi as a step towards "contributing to the splendour of French culture worldwide and a way to attract more tourists to France". But, many Francophiles remain unconvinced.
History, heritage and art are part of a holy trinity that the world still somehow can't agree on in terms of where and why. How, for instance, do you explain to an Indian student why he or she has to travel to the United Kingdom to see the Kohinoor diamond?
Perhaps there is some truth in that in India - at large - the culture of museums and their management is not mature enough to take adequate care of the treasures of the past. And they're better off where they are. But it sounds harsh to the boys and girls of a Rising India.
Historical monuments
Activists continue to lobby for the "return of the Kohinoor", while callous individuals continue to etch their proclamations of love or presence on historical monuments.
In terms of a richness and depth of culture, India and France have much in common, except in the extent of the appreciation. While the French hold it all so close to their heart, most Indians remain indifferent towards the all-encompassing arts.
The French tell foreigners about their country's prides and joys, while we Indians need foreigners to remind us of ours.
The only binding factor between history, heritage and art, is that in today's world, they belong to none and they belong to all. For that brief moment in one's life with Mona Lisa, she belongs to whoever stands in front of her.
As for the Parisians, they need not fear. Spreading of French culture or sharing of world's treasures, no matter how one views it, at the end of the day, initiatives such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi are a perfect step in the grand artistic scheme of things.
And what of the Indians? A rather large contingent is apparently getting set to head out to the upcoming Cannes film festival. Well, when the two cultures meet, the French would do well to become a little less possessive, while the Indians might want to learn how to become a lot more protective.
Vinita Bharadwaj is an independent writer based in Dubai.
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