The art lover transformed Abu Dhabi’s landsc
The city’s art scene witnessed radical transformation in the past two decades or coinciding with Sheikh Mohamed becoming the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in 2
The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has been instrumental in transforming the UAE Capital, Abu Dhabi, into a global centre of art and culture.
The iconic Louvre Abu Dhabi is a defining achievement, which is now a haven for creatives. The Capital, with several world-class spaces for art and artists, is today a glowing example of a 21st century city. The opening of Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in the future will add more feathers in its cap.
Back in the early 80s, the Capital had two venues for artists: The Cultural Foundation and the National Theatre. Those two centres, both opened in 1981, were hubs for artists to showcase their works.
The National Theatre, the region’s biggest auditorium, staged plays, screened movies, and hosted conferences and exhibitions. The Cultural Foundation housed the first National Library, along with a performance auditorium and an exhibition centre. And in 1996, the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation was established, supporting artists and cultural industry.
Radical transformation The city’s art scene witnessed radical transformation in the past two decades or so, mainly coinciding with Sheikh Mohamed becoming the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in 2004. Several major projects were launched, and Abu Dhabi began to host international summits, conferences, exhibitions drawing top names from across the world.
The first Abu Dhabi Festival was founded in 2004 and generously granted the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed. The festival of ‘Bilad Al Khayr’, the land of blessings, the land of Zayed, embraced the values of
dialogue, tolerance, respect and peace.
In 2007, the first edition of Abu Dhabi Art took place at Emirates Palace under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed. Abu Dhabi Art delivers a year-round visual arts
programme that includes art installations and exhibitions, residencies and events, culminating in an annual art fair each November.
Bold cultural vision
And in the late 2000s, several
major steps were taken highlighting the new cultural vision of the leadership. The Cultural Foundation was closed for renovation and another mega project was launched: Saadiyat Island’s Cultural District.
The 27-sqkm natural island, a few minutes’ drive from the downtown Abu Dhabi and 20 minutes from the airport, is now a worldclass cultural hub housing the world’s largest single concentration of premier cultural assets, in
cluding the Louvre Abu Dhabi. It will include Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in the future.
Let’s look at some of the key institutions that are promoting art and culture in Abu Dhabi: