OPENING - NAANII GLOBAL Luxury/Quality Family Lifestyle MAGAZIN 'en Vogue' - NAANII GLOBAL Quality & Luxury Family Lifestyle - MAGAZINE 'en Vogue'-

The new Louvre Abu Dhabi, opened 11.novembre 2017, is a universal museum on Saadiyat Island that exhibits art and artefacts from ancient times to the present day.

Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the museum contains 12 chapters in the galleries, special exhibition spaces, a Children’s Museum, auditorium, restaurants, retail and a research centre. Surrounded by the sea, the buildings are connected by waterfront promenades beneath the museum’s stunning dome.

Louvre Abu Dhabi has developed a rich collection of works originating from throughout human history and around the world, brought together to highlight universal themes and influences. To date, Louvre Abu Dhabi has acquired more than 600 artworks, exhibited alongside 300 works on loan from 13 leading French institutions.

Louvre Abu Dhabi was born out of a unique intergovernmental agreement between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France in 2007. As part of the agreement, Louvre Abu Dhabi has access to expertise and training from 17 French partner institutions, as well as loans from 13 leading French museums for 10 years, and will benefit from special exhibitions organised by these institutions for 15 years.

OPENING:
At 10am on Saturday 11 November, Louvre Abu Dhabi opened its doors to the public for the first time.

The highly-anticipated museum welcomed thousands of visitors to see the exceptional architecture and the masterpieces displayed throughout the galleries.

Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, commented: “Louvre Abu Dhabi presents a collection of exceptional artworks and artefacts that are unparalleled anywhere in the region, housed within one of the 21st century’s architectural masterpieces. After an exciting period of preparation, the opening is a truly special moment. Today, this building becomes a museum.”

Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Children’s Museum welcomed young visitors and families to its inaugural exhibition, Travelling Shapes and Colours, which engages children through specially curated artworks, regular tours and workshops in various languages and areas.

To mark the historic occasion, celebrations are taking place at Louvre Abu Dhabi until Tuesday 14 November.
Included in admissions tickets are a spectacular light show by Groupe F as part of the Emirati-French Cultural Programme; dance performances by Lucinda Childs and Lemi Ponifasio; traditional Ayala, Chinese and Dogon parades; a video installation by Dubai-based artist Hind Mezaina; and other multicultural music, dance and art performances.
Tours and workshops suitable for a range of ages are also included in admission throughout the opening week, inviting visitors to explore the museum’s architecture and collections in an inspiring setting.
There is also a headline concert series from French singer and rock guitarist Matthieu Chedid, known as –M–; mesmerising Malian performer Fatoumata Diawara; Lebanese jazz and world musician Ibrahim Maalouf; and the magnificent singer and dancer Totó La Momposina, whose performances are inspired by Colombian Caribbean traditions.
Tickets are available at http://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/.

Louvre Abu Dhabi is a museum city (medina) which combines traditional Arabic inspiration with contemporary design and engineering. Waterfront promenades overlook the sea underneath the iconic dome, comprised of 7,850 unique metal stars set in a complex geometric pattern. When sunlight filters through, it creates a cinematic ‘rain of light’, reminiscent of the overlapping palm trees in the UAE’s oases.

In addition to the permanent galleries and a 270-seat auditorium, Louvre Abu Dhabi features special exhibition space, a Children’s Museum, boutique, café and a public park.


ARCHITECTURE - Jean Nouvel
Ateliers Jean Nouvel (AJN) is a world-renowned design firm that combines the disciplines of architecture, urban planning, interior design, landscape design, graphic design, and product design into a single integrated practice.
Jean Nouvel has been the recipient of numerous prizes and awards over the years. In 1989, The Arab World Institute in Paris was awarded the Aga-Khan Prize. In 2000, Jean Nouvel received the Lion d’Or from the Venice Biennale. In 2001, he received the Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Praemium Imperial of Japan’s Fine Arts Association and the Borromini Prize for the Culture and Conference Center in Lucerne. Jean Nouvel was the recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2008. The design of the Louvre Abu Dhabi began in 2006 with Jean Nouvel’s Partner Architect Hala Wardé.

Among Jean Nouvel’s principal completed buildings are the Arab World Institute, the Cartier Foundation and the Quai Branly Museum in Paris, the Lucerne Cultural and Congress Center, the extension to the Queen Sophia Museum in Madrid, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Philharmonic Concert Halls in Copenhagen and Paris. Among the ongoing projects: the 53W53 Tour de Verre MoMA extension in New York, the Hekla and Duo office towers in Paris, the “The Artists’ Garden” cultural complex in Qingdao and the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) in Beijing.  

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