SimplyAbuDhabi XXXIII

4 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I accessible by water or by land. Upon arrival in the museum-city, wander through serene spaces between the detached buildings and take in views of the sea or the Abu Dhabi skyline. The atmosphere is designed to encourage contemplation or inspire conversation, with galleries and specially commissioned outdoor artworks awaiting you at every turn as you reflect on the ever-changing vistas of sun, sea, art, and architecture. Before its grand opening in 2017, Louvre Abu Dhabi invited renowned contemporary artists to create site-specific installations, inspired by the museum’s ethos, architecture and collections, as part of an ongoing commissions programme. The first commissions, For Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jenny Holzer and Germination by Giuseppe Penone, are monumental open-air installations that set the stage for the Louvre Abu Dhabi experience. Both artists worked closely with Louvre Abu Dhabi’s team and architect Jean Nouvel to develop sculptures and installations that integrate into the architecture and reflect the universal stories of the museum. Jenny Holzer’s textual installations inscribe Louvre Abu Dhabi’s celebration of cross-cultural dialogue into the very walls of the museum. Holzer has selected three important historic texts from three distinct world traditions. The oldest of the three texts is a Mesopotamian clay tablet that recounts a creation myth imagined almost 4,000 years ago. From the Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun, Holzer reproduces passages which celebrate music and language, presenting a poetic ode to the art of calligraphy. The third source text is Michel de Montaigne’s Les Essais, written in Old French, which demonstrate Montaigne’s quest to understand the true nature of the world through discussion, dialogue and conversation. Holzer’s stunning textual installation encapsulates the spirit of Louvre Abu Dhabi: a cross-cultural celebration of the universal quest for beauty and knowledge. Giuseppe Penone’s Germination is a three-part installation which reveals the connections between humanity, nature and art through organic materials, while interacting imaginatively with Louvre Abu Dhabi’s architecture. The central element of the installation is Leaves of Light (2017), a vast bronze tree that reflects Jean Nouvel’s ‘rain of light’ through mirrors placed in its branches. Soaring 16 metres high towards the dome which floats above the museum’s waterfront promenades, the tree becomes a symbol of life, shared by all cultures. Inside the museum, an ever-growing collection of exceptional treasures invites discovery. Important artworks and artefacts spanning the entirety of human history—including ancient archaeological finds, decorative arts, neoclassical sculptures, paintings by modern masters and contemporary installations are housed within myriad enchanting gallery spaces. The Dawn of a New Era Louvre Abu Dhabi began acquiring works in 2009, two years after the intergovernmental agreement between Abu Dhabi and France and the creation of Agence France Muséums (AFM). AFM brings together the seventeen Louvre Abu Dhabi partner institutions, including the world- renowned institutions Musée du Louvre, Centre Pompidou, Musées d’Orsay and Château de Versailles.