One of the most expensive cultural institutions ever built will be finished at the end of this year: the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
In 2007 the United Arab Emirates and France signed an intergovernmental agreement that was the foundation for the Louvre Abu Dubai. Dubai paid $525 million to be associated with the Louvre brand, and $747 million for French museums to provide their know-how on developing the collection as well as loaning works for the permanent galleries during the first ten years.
The actual building cost another $100 million, and was designed by the Pulitzer Prize-winning architect, Jean Nouvel. The design is a combination of modern architecture and the region's traditions. A white dome, which is a symbolic feature of Arabian architecture, covers a majority of the museum representing the mosque, the mausoleum and the madrasa. The building is located on the Saadiyat Island, purposefully poised between sand and sea.
The works of the museum will showcase a narrative of art history representing all regions and periods. The galleries will present important items from the disciplines of archaeology, fine arts, and decorative arts. The central display represents a journey through time, which proceeds chronologically through different civilizations. The four major periods that are shown are Archaeology and the Birth of Civilization, Medieval Days and the Birth of Islam, the Classical Period from Humanism to Enlightenment, and Modern and Contemporary Art, starting at the end of the 18th century. The museum's aim is to reflect Dubai's position at the crossroads of east and west, or as a crossroads for different civilizations.
So far, the museum has only had one large-scale presentation of a collection in April of 2014, where 130 artworks were showcased for the first time. This exhibition gave a sample for what there is to expect from the Louvre Abu Dhabi when it opens in December of this year.
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