Abu Dhabi: The opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi will be a grand affair with four days of celebrations, that include a series of performances, workshops and shows, organisers said on Monday.
These festivities will begin soon after the museum opens to the public at 10am on November 11, the Louvre Abu Dhabi announced in a statement.
During the day, visitors will be able to participate in workshops or take guided tours around the museum. A number of dance and musical performances are also planned for the daytime, and a series of headline acts enthral audiences in the evening. In addition, the evening of November 11 will also feature a dramatic light-video-theatre performance by French pyrotechnic wizards, Groupe F, to celebrate the collection and architecture of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
“Creativity, cross-cultural understanding and humanity’s innate fascination with discovering new ideas and traditions from around the world are at the heart of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s ethos and collections. The spectacular opening week programme really is a celebration of diversity, bringing together talented musicians, artists and performers from countries spanning the globe, and will offer a colourful and unforgettable experience to launch this project,” said Manuel Rabaté, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The museum, developed under a 2007 intergovernmental agreement between the UAE and France features collections from across civilisations and cultures. Its 600-piece permanent collection ranges from the Palaeolithic era to the present day, and these will be supplemented by loans from leading French museums and regional cultural institutions.
The statement from the museum said that tickets are now available online for headline acts, including French singer and rock guitarist Matthieu Chedid, known as — M —, Malian performer Fatoumata Diawara; Lebanese jazz and world musician Ibrahim Maalouf, and singer and dancer Totó La Momposina, whose performances are inspired by Colombian Caribbean traditions.
Among other performances will be Franco-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê, who has partnered with Korea’s Baraji Ensemble for a unique fusion of multi-cultural rock, jazz, African and Asian styles accompanied by traditional Korean music. The French-Indian duo formed by Drfloy and Sumathi will perform a contemporary mix of bass and electronic abstract sounds with the richness of classical Indian vocals and raga.
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, an internationally renowned master of the Indian bamboo flute, will also perform, as will self-taught Emirati composer and musician Faisal Al Saari.There will also be a range of traditional folkloric acts, including the Dogon Masks Dance, a ritual native to the ancient Dogon people of central Mali, Mali’s Awa Troupe of Sangha, and the Parade of Lions and Dragons by the Chinese troupe from the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Centre. The traditional Emirati Al Ayyala, a historic cultural dance performed at events, weddings and other festive occasions, will also be staged by the Mubarak Al Otaiba Group.
Dance enthusiasts, on the other hand, can look forward to a presentation of ‘Almasty’, a dance choreographed by French dancer and choreographer Myriam Gourfink, and shows by Lemi Ponifasio, a Samoan New Zealand choreographer, dancer, stage director, designer and artist.
A host of surprise performances will also be held throughout the day in the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s galleries by choreographer and contemporary dance master, Lucinda Childs.
In addition, visitors can experience a presentation of Music TV, a music video montage of found TV footage by Emirati artist Hind Mezaina, whose work delves into themes of collective memory and the notion of heritage.
Those who wish to participate in workshops will be able to design unique geometric patterns or masks, or hone their observational skills as they go through the galleries. Registration for these will be free, and can be completed at the museum’s ticketing desk.
Finally, there will be guided tours designed to introduce the museum’s masterpieces, engage families, and highlight French architect Jean Nouvel’s architecture of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
