Crowds brave rain to celebrate Louvre anniversary

Abu Dhabi - Crowds lined up on Sadiyaat Island to attend celebratory activities despite unexpected thunder storms.

Braving bad weather, visitors flocked to Louvre Abu Dhabi on Sunday to mark the first anniversary celebrations of the one-of-a-kind museum in the region.
From a six-time visitor to the iconic landmark of the UAE to tourists from India and Italy, several people descended on the Capital to be part of the celebrations.
Crowds lined up on Sadiyaat Island to attend celebratory activities despite unexpected thunder storms.
However, the much-anticipated Dua Lipa concert of the British singer, for which the tickets were sold out long before the anniversary day, was cancelled due to inclement weather.
In a tweet, Louvre Abu Dhabi said: "Ticket holders should keep their tickets until further notice. We will update ticket holders in due course."
When the Louvre Abu Dhabi opened its doors to the public on November 11, 2017, it was one of the most anticipated moments in the entire Arab region as well as for art connoisseurs across the world.
The date will forever be embedded in the history of the UAE, as UAE became the first and only nation to open this world-class museum, outside of France, since the opening of Louvre Museum in Paris in 1793.
Paula, who is visiting Abu Dhabi from Rome, Italy, told Khaleej Times: "It is much better than the museums in Europe, especially in terms of the organisation. And every masterpiece is well illuminated."Paula added that she felt a sense of mixed cultures and coexistence at the museum.
Another pair of visitors, a father and son, Namit and Aryan Goenka, who arrived from Surat, India, said that Louvre Abu Dhabi is "unlike any place one can imagine".
"We have been to the Louvre Museum in Paris, but Louvre Abu Dhabi is not what we expected at all, it really surpassed our imagination. You can feel the mix of culture in this place, and this embodies what Abu Dhabi is all about - a city that respects and welcomes all people."
Ciel, from Paris, France, said she has visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi six times since its opening date.
"Every time I come here, I find and learn something new and different," she said.
"There is something about this place that brings a sense of joy, contentment and peace." She said that her favourite artwork is Leonardo da Vinci's portrait, La Belle Ferronnière, which dates back to 1490.
Ciel added that she and "every other art lover" in the UAE is now patiently waiting for the Salvator Mundi, another artwork painted by the Italian painter. "To have this artwork in the UAE, is truly spectacular and I can only imagine what the museum will be like on the day of its reveal. It will be another historic moment."
What makes Louvre Abu Dhabi the symbol of oneness
On November 11, 2017, the Louvre Abu Dhabi opened its doors to the public for the very first time, after a 10-year journey, which the UAE and France walked through together.
The $1.1 billion museum is not just another museum, with beautiful arts and artefacts. The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a universal museum, the epitome of every culture, race, religion, colour and background, embedded into one.
This is Louvre Abu Dhabi's signature, its birthmark - the symbol of oneness, unity and coexistence.
And with over one million people from across the world who visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi since its opening date - the museum has already proven its true vision of unification: Seeing humanity in a new light.
What UAE leaders have said
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makoutm, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said earlier: "The Louvre Abu Dhabi is our cultural pride - it will bring together the East and West and represents our ability to fight darkness with light; fight ignorance and intellectual extremism with artistic beauty,"
He added: "The key message of the Louvre Abu Dhabi is that our strength as human beings lies in the convergence of minds and the meeting of people and the alliance of civilisations."
Moreover, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, hailed the museum as a global cultural monument. "The Louvre Abu Dhabi brings together unique art icons that reflect humanity's collective genius," he said.
Jean-Luc Martinez, president of the Louvre in Paris, said the new museum was designed "to open up to others, to understand diversity" in "a multipolar world."
He explained that the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a significant collaboration between France and the UAE, where the two countries already hold strong ties across various sectors.
Features of iconic Abu Dhabi museum
>The 24,000-square metre Louvre Abu Dhabi museum with 8,000 square metres of gallaries, is the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula.
>The museum showcases pieces from across the world, aiming to bridge the gap between the East and the West.
>The design of the Louvre Abu Dhabi embodies the image of an Arab medina, as seen through the eyes of a contemporary cinematographer.
>To reach the ground, each ray of light must cross eight layers of perforations, creating a constantly shifting pattern that mimics the shadows cast by palm trees or the roof of a traditional Arab market.
Timeline of Louvre Abu Dhabi
>March 6, 2007: UAE and France sign a deal to build Louvre Abu Dhabi museum
>October 10, 2007: The French National Assembly approves the project
>May 26, 2009: Construction work officially starts
>August 3, 2010: Piling works completed
>October 29, 2011: TDIC announces delay in project completion
>January 25, 2012: New deadline set as 2015
>December 5, 2013: The first element of the museum's canopy lifted into place
>March 17, 2014: First permanent gallery structure completed
>October 22, 2014: Museum's dome structure installation gets completed
>June 15, 2016: Temporary sea protection walls removed
>September 6, 2017: Museum opening date announced
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Abu Dhabi