After a decade of construction, Louvre Abu Dhabi is set to officially open on November 11. Located on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, the Louvre will in fact be a “museum city” including 55 detached buildings out of which 23 are gallery spaces overlooking the ocean. Surrounded entirely by water, this structure’s ceiling is made of 8,000 metal stars. When hit by sunlight, it is supposed to create a moving “rain of light” effect.
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Inside, Louvre Abu Dhabi seeks to recreate themes like maternity, funerary rituals and universal religions in its galleries. Set to display works like Leonardo da Vinci’s La Belle Ferronnière, Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait, and Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps; Louvre Abu Dhabi is loaning artworks from 13 leading French museums. Another exhibit called From One Louvre to Another: Opening a Museum for Everyone seeks to showcase royal collections of Versailles and the creation of Louvre in Paris. The architect of the project Jean Nouvel says,
“The possibility of accessing the museum by boat or finding a pontoon to reach it by foot from the shore is equally extraordinary, before being welcomed like a much-awaited visitor waiting to see unique collections, linger in tempting bookstores, or taste local teas, coffees, and delicacies,”
Tickets for the Louvre Abu Dhabi are 60 AED (about $16) for general admission and 30 AED (about $8) for visitors ages 13 to 22. Come November and you can visit a floating art gallery! If you are game for some more adventurous in the vicinity, UAE has something exciting too.
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