The Abu Dhabi Louvre, the ‘new’ Louvre, has been on my list since before it opened in November 2017. Knowing it would be a day best enjoyed with another enthusiast I have delayed my visit more than once. Now, finally, I am here.
Mum & I have begged a day out and left the boys to their own devices. We hit the road early and arrive just after 10 am as the first waves of visitors are arriving. Clearly the novelty of a new Louvre is still alive and well after a few months.
That Dome
Mum is just as excited as I am and our first glimpses of the Jean Nouvel designed space is a surreal experience. The galleries appear to float on the water and the dome roof, inspired by Arabic geometric designs, seems to “rain light” down on the exhibition spaces below. The effect is both futuristic and somehow ancient.
The 80 meter dome overlaps eight layers to create the effects of light and incorporates numerous buildings of differing sizes as well as “outdoor” terraces and courtyards. The architecture takes into account the light, atmosphere and ambiance as well as the realities of the harsh environment and climatic conditions of this location. We are, after all, on the edge of the desert.
The Galleries
The main exhibitions spaces are organised into 12 galleries, the introduction, the great vestibule, followed by The First Villages through to A Global Stage. The aim is clear – to tell the story of humanity by ‘chapter’ focusing on shared themes and ideas to reveal common connections throughout history. The items displayed range from ancient artifacts to contemporary artworks, some of which are on loan from Paris.
Funerary Items
The simplicity of the idea is humbling – no matter who you are, where you are from, your beliefs, ideas and skin color, we all started out in the same way. This museum is set out to explore the story of humanity, from its very origins to now, by way of commonalities. In many cases, this starts with death. The rituals of death are many and varied now.
Historically, however, many ancient civilisations with no connection to each other, covered the faces of their dead in gold. But why? The descriptions in this room pose the questions and suggest some answers:
“[d]oes gold, as an incorruptible substance, confer eternal life, liberating our existence from the finite realm? With its lustre, it perpetuates the light of life by suppressing the darkness of death. Gold glows in the gloom of tombs but only bones have been found behind these masks. Immortality appears to be the universal hope of mankind when faced with death.”
The Louvre, Abu Dhabi
Another funerary object, this little Egyptian hippopotamus represents the Nile. Although the Nile was fundamental to the living, it was also important to the gods and the dead. These hippopotamus, often decorated with aquatic plants, represent the revitalising properties of the life giving Nile and were often found buried in tombs. This practice of burying symbolic or useful items with the dead is found throughout many ancient civilisations and extends into some modern rituals still today.
Decoration
Another commonality of ancient civilisations is the decoration of everyday items. Here, three decorated dishes are displayed side by side but this one, for its pattern and color, catches my eye. Like with so many cultures, pattern played a large role in every day life. This display is explained:
“According to certain myths, man was created on a potter’s wheel . The spiral uncoils around the naval in a circular space. Might it be a kinetics that recalls the movement of the sun and moon in the sky? Radiating from a centre, the spiral meets the rays of time. The time of the world, the time of humankind, primordial cycles of life and beings. In turning around this axis, however, the story has neither beginning nor end, just as the Earth has always revolved around the Sun.”
The Louve, Abu Dhabi
Certainly pattern is a universal theme as I discovered recently in the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.
Religion
One theme of cultures that is still universal today is religion. There are lots of examples here. These figures (above) are depicted in prayer with hands clasped, representing the universal position of listening or reflection. Joined hands concentrate the body and soul ensuring the continuity of celestial and terrestrial worlds. Then, somewhat less obvious but no less majestic is this statuette of a woman in a woolen dress (below). Although her figure is somewhat shapeless she exudes a divine air and a holds a serene expression. Probably a divinity in Central Asian mythology she is said to pacify the powerful forces of nature.
Another possible divinity, this bust (below) with its two heads masked with riveting expressions, is apparently one of the oldest monumental statures in the history of humanity dating back to the Neolithic village of Ain Ghazal. I gaze at these two for a while and got an eerie sense from them. The shape of the heads, the delicate pointed noses and prominent cheek bones give them an aura of wisdom, perhaps as old as they are.
Somewhat less ancient than the Jordanian figures, but no less relevant is the side of a Christian sarcophagus decorated with biblical scenes and depictions of the Virgin, Christ and saints. Whether a person, people, figures or deities, worship and religion is certainly a unifying theme.
We stick with the Christian theme for a while exploring statues and sculptures as well as this rather magnificent stained glass window
Power and War
Status, power and war is a recurring theme amongst many of the displays. Horses, in particular, are associated with all three. The description aside these two statues poses the question as to whether mastering horses is mankind’s greatest victory?
“Human beings have long dreamed of having wings. Nothing brings them closer than the gallop of the horse, which extends the horizon and accelerates time. Tamed in the vast grasslands of Central Asia, the horse and its representation spread as far as the shores of the Atlantic and the Pacific, for the glory of civilisations.”
The Louvre, Abu Dhabi
I’m not sure about greatest victory but they are a majestic animal and I’d love to experience the feeling of galloping along on one.
On the other hand, these three hand axes hail from France, Algeria and Saudi Arabia. With an average age between them of 500,000 years I find my mind boggling. Not only that something like this can still exist from so long ago, but how do we really know? Can it be true?
The display describes humans producing shapes such as these as “exploiting their own creativity in the same way that nature creates form and shape – in leaves, pebbles and by the action of water. Technical prowess produces symmetry, which becomes a symbolic shape in it’s pointless perfection. The birth of aesthetics? Design? Identity? Hand axes or bifaces serve as evidence of the first human interest in aesthetics and reveal the sense of humanity of our common ancestor.” I’m not sure I agree with this either. Did they really have time for creativity when they were fighting everyday for their lives. Were they not tools of necessity for indigenous peoples living from the land? Whichever way you look at it, it’s pretty fascinating.
Along the same theme although around 480,000 years younger, these blades may have been symbolic or had some sort of ceremonial function as they appear too delicate for use. Perhaps so or perhaps they’re just really, really old and worn!
Status
Status symbols. Symbols of the first signs of power, the discovery of objects of prestige. These were inevitably made with outstanding craftsmanship, sometimes from materials that came from far away. Indicative of the emergence of the first social hierarchies during the Neolithic period, the creation of items such as jade rings and blades provides a striking parallel between China and Europe. Sometimes, objects such as these were placed in tombs beside their owner. The objects are evidence of beliefs, cults and rituals which are largely a mystery to us in the modern age. Except for the status symbol, which endures throughout the ages.
Good To Know
The Louvre, Abu Dhabi provides a solid permanent collection with interesting temporary exhibitions in an iconic building.
Closed on Mondays.
Would I Return?
Yes.