Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Monocle
A brave new world of artistic inquiry.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
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The Cultural Tour Series
Jean Nouvel’s iconic domed roof at Louvre Abu Dhabi
Chinese and European sculpture in the Louvre Abu Dhabi collection
Richard Mille Art Prize 2023 winner Nabla Yahya
a new vision
Since Louvre Abu Dhabi opened to great acclaim on 11 November 2017, the museum, with its domed low-slung form designed by celebrated French architect Jean Nouvel, has been at the heart of the Emirati capital’s new vision of cultural openness and artistic innovation. Part of the Saadiyat Cultural District, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s scope ranges across global and regional art history, making it the first such universally-minded museum in the Arab world. It also builds on the historic reputation of its great namesake institution in Paris.
inspiring future
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s international team of curators and researchers are also dedicated to giving space and support to contemporary art. SoftBank, an installation by Abu Dhabi-born artist Nabla Yahya, is a case in point. Exhibited as part of Art Here, an annual collaboration between the museum and Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille that aims to support art practitioners across the region, Yahya’s winning piece explores lesser-known aspects of the construction of the Suez Canal between 1859 and 1869. Consisting of a stylised stainless-steel map and archive photographs, SoftBank served as a testament to the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s bold curatorial approach – and won Yahya the 2023 Richard Mille Art Prize. Yahya, who describes her practice as an examination of “neglected history”, hopes that her success will be an inspiration to others: “This recognition makes me very optimistic and hopeful for the future.”
rich collection
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s permanent collection encompasses everything from Islamic artefacts such as a sumptuous page of a medieval Blue Qur’an and Renaissance masterpieces to Ottoman ceramics and – naturellement! – French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including a Japan-inspired canvas by Paul Gauguin. To increase engagement, the collection is regularly updated with loans from 19 other French partner institutions and museums. But Louvre Abu Dhabi contains far more than historic objects and the Old Masters.
