In November of 2018, I was lucky enough to visit the Louvre in Abu Dhabi.
The exhibition on at the time was a history of art dating from very early on in man’s history to the modern day. Our tour was interspersed with live monologues portrayed by some of the museum staff, something I’ve never experienced before and was quite different. Some of the exhibits were breathtaking while others were just simply delightful.
A lot of the smaller exhibits were displayed very nicely in large Perspex cases. The images I captured of these turned out surprisingly well despite this. Unfortunately, I was so preoccupied with my photography, I neglected to note the titles and dates of the pieces-my apologies. The exhibits were laid out as a timeline, the first room being home to the more ancient exhibits generally native to the Middle East, continuing into classic European pieces by the likes of Monet and ending with a room housing present day modern art.
The museum itself is designed to be very plain and simple. All the walls are white and featureless, but the use of glass, light and water transform the space into a cool and elegant backdrop for the exhibits. The entire building was erected adjacent to the shoreline and the sea is an integral part of the whole. There is almost as much to see outside as in.
As we were driving away and able to see the building from a distance it appeared that the design was inspired by a Taqiyah. The Taqiyah is a white cap with some lace work on the crown, often worn by Arab men. I wish I’d noticed this earlier and been able to capture a few shots. Next time.
The website for The Louvre is; www.louvreabudhabi.ae. Their Menu has an ‘Architecture’ section and tells the story of the design. If the chance to visit ever comes your way, don’t pass it up. You won’t be disappointed. Please enjoy my images from this impressive venue.