A Louvre for Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
By Patricia Jorro Gomez-Mugica

The United Arab Emirates are investing a large amount of effort and money to create an Island of Culture. It will be sited opposite the city of Abu Dhabi, on a natural island called Saadiyat Island, (Island of Happiness). By 2012, the Guggenheim Museum will have built another branch of their Foundation, ‘Guggenheim Abu Dhabi’, designed by Frank Gehry; there will also be a Centre for Artistic development designed by Zaha Hadid. In addition the architect Jean Nouvel has been commissioned for a Louvre museum. There will also be a Maritime museum, a golf course and other attractions will give the Island an International cultural prestige.

The new Emirates Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development; want to develop a country beyond shopping malls and expensive hotels, and turn it into an international centre for cultural leisure pursuits, a country where all kinds of entertainment and environments will be found. ‘More contemporary activities, such as theatre and film, also play important roles in nurturing the cultural side of Emirati society, feeding the soul and enhancing that widespread spirit of well-being that both Emiratis and expatriates enjoy in the UAE.’ To pursue all this the country is bringing all the above together.

Many Guggenheim museums exist, Venice, Bilbao, Berlin, Las Vegas, and now the Foundation is building its largest museum yet; expanding their global art franchise. The Louvre desire to participate in a similar expansion is what I find most interesting. This is the first time the Louvre museum has allowed anyone else to use their name and their collection of art. One or two other museums have similar arrangements with The Louvre, for example the High Museum of Atlanta who have a three year loan agreement. However Abu Dhabi’s situation is different. It is much more than a loan; it is extending the French museum’s name and collection to a country with a completely different culture. French trademarks such as the Louis Vuittons and Diors are most desirable in this part of the world, including other French household names. This venture encompasses an entirely new area of western culture and visual arts. The deal between the Louvre and Abu Dhabi is subject to an exchange of funds just like the purchasing of Louis Vuittons or Diors. It is not a move of a private foundation or enterprise. The deal has been arranged by the French government, the patrimony of the French Nation will be hired out.

There has been considerable dissent in France, a poll against the selling of French culture has been conducted and 4,650 people have signed it. Most of these people are archaeologists and art historians. Even the President of Germany’s Foundation for Prussian Culture, in charge of several of the country’s major museums, has accused the Louvre of behaving “like a corporation with a clearly-defined strategy: profit maximization”. In reality it could be the best thing the French have done in years, share their culture, and since the French are so proud of their culture, they should be happy about sharing it, - I would think. It may be profit maximization, but if profits are invested in their French cultural heritage, it will benefit the French culture as well.

The expertise and collection will be loaned, for the next 20 years at least. This means that the large collection of Islamic art which the Museum owns will returned to the Islamic world, at the same time they will be exhibiting classical western art, as in other well known museums. Western art has portrayed for centuries religious iconography and nude paintings and sculptures. and contemporary art feeds from these traditions, inspiring a variety of reactions infuriating and challenging many of its spectators. The artist has always existed to move our souls and our ideologies frequently through the human form, will the Arab world accept these different kinds of exposure? Will it be allowed for cultural purposes? An article in the International Herald Tribune on the 12th of January 2007, reported that the French newspaper Le Monde had reported ‘that the draft agreement stated that the new museum could not reject art works for “unreasonable motives.”’ If this is the case, they will be able to hold amazing exhibitions with the national heritage and with the Louvre art works. But will the Islamic world use religion as an unreasonable motive to deny certain art works?

Why not create an original museum, in the UAE with their own name, and rent works of art while they create their own contemporary art collection? The answer to this is probably, instant credibility, this way they attract more curious audiences by associating themselves with an institution like the ‘Musée du Louvre’. ‘Millions of people visit the Museum in Paris every year, more than half of them are foreigners. 8.3 million people visited the Louvre last year.’

One of the questions no one has really answered is what is going to happen to artists and works that endorses this new museum. Established museums build their collections over long periods of time. They exhibit works that belonged to their kings, queens etc. as well as establishing process of buying. Museums rarely buy art works, they are donated works and loan arrangements with other museums. If they buy its because a piece once belonged to the patrimony of their country. Most contemporary museums, that do buy and commission art, have very restricted budgets. Which keeps the art market stable. There have been times of volatility in the market but it has corrected itself. Of course there is always art works worth millions no matter the market.

The Emirates will be investing enormous sums in art, both in their own country and also in the world markets, to bring notoriety to their collections and enhance the wonders of their cities and islands. For this same reason Masterpieces may fetch very high prices at auctions as they start building their collections for their own museums. Artists selling now might find that their work goes too quickly from the primary market to the secondary market; from the secondary market to the tertiary market; or even straight from the primary market to the tertiary market. Prices may become inflated artists work may lose their place in local and world markets. The balance between the west and the middle east may also be destabilised if (perfectly reasonably), they chose to give more importance to their own wealth than to the global spectrum of artists.

The Island of Happiness really feels like its going to have the best of both worlds: the know how of curators and other experts from the west, the desire from the Emirates to create an interesting art atmosphere for artists to work in, and visitors to enjoy. It will also provide a base, where many new artists from the Middle East have a place where they can develop their skills, and become part of the collection that will be created for these museums. I believe this will benefit the art culture within the Middle East, however they will probably desire to host artists from different backgrounds in order to fulfil a global image. East and west can have their own say in this cultural community.

These new centre of the arts in Abu Dhabi hopefully will inspire the Arab world, and promote their heritage, building inspiring architecture is one way to promote arts, culture and ultimately tourists. But Heritage is also important in the Emirates and they are addressing this issue, by including the Louvre and their art collection which encompasses masterpieces from around the world. Museums of this characteristics, and with these large collections have to store a vast amount of art, are bringing back together culture that once belonged else where. This is a common problem for most museum collections, an issue that should be pursued, heritage creates common ground for countries, regions and culture. There is a danger in creating these deals between cultural institutions and countries, with large cultural entities like the Guggenheim and the Louvre, that sell specific values to the art world. People who visit art museums are a specific group, interested in culture, and who have been emerged in art throughout their lives. Is these grand idea creating world-wide culture for everyone?

The Louvre and the Guggenheim can help to promote this identity through their works in global institutions where cultures do come together. Some might perceive these institutional choices driven by the economic concerns, or a hope to infiltrate western influences. The critics will have to wait and see. In 2012, all the museums will be ready to show their collections. Ideally the markets will be satisfied and artists and collectors, have an found interesting niche. Or nothing new will be gained and the predictable will again occur. Hopefully fears of an unreasonable market boom will not happen, Artists and collectors will see their work prosper in art galleries as well as museums. What will be the measure for this pieces and commissions asked by the Emirates, will the standard be graded by the country’s know-how or will the intellectuals from other culture decide its fate?

Will all these interesting investments be appreciated by the holiday makers who go to the Emirates looking to indulge in the sun and good service of the country. Will the Louvre and the Guggenheim combine with the cultural heritage of this middle eastern country be enough to attract peoples attention towards these new cultural institutions as well as sun and the malls? Hopefully not.

As I said before, exhibiting collections within amazing new architecture is one way of promoting culture and attracting tourists, but the heritage of the country must not be overlooked. The Emirates are taking care of this issue. Their Louvre will be exhibiting traditional art from Middle Eastern collections. It is wonderful that master pieces and artefacts will be liberated from storage rooms and displayed on their native soil. The breadth of the planned collection is breathtaking and an example to be followed. With the help of such important institutions, the high profile exhibitions organized in magnificent buildings which are works of art themselves, this cultural getaway can become a breath of fresh air in the world of art and for the recognition of national artists. And Middle Eastern art and their artists will most certainly be recognised throughout the world. With this hopefully Abu Dhabi will attract not only travellers of leisure but inspire crowds of art lovers to one of the worlds cultural centres.

After 20 years we hope that the Louvre Abu Dhabi will have an identity of its own. And the collection as well as the temporary exhibitions organized by the authorities and curators will be of the best quality and cultural interest. Hopefully it will keep its high standards inspiring art enthusiasts, tourists and locals alike for years to come.

Patricia Jorro Gómez-Múgica

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