A student ambassador talks about her passion
Dhabi Course: International studies (major); Curatorial Practices (minor) Are you a fan of museums? I love them. If I travel somewhere, I have to check out the museums. Not everyone in my family is a huge fan of them though, so sometimes it can be challenging to get a viewing in. I guess I haven’t visited as many as I would have liked. I’ve been to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The decorative arts housed within that building were awe-inspiring. I’ve also visited the Munch Museum in Norway, which is solely dedicated to the works of Edvard Munch. Fascinating stuff. Why do you fit the role of Louvre Abu Dhabi ambassador? I’m passionate about history, art and culture. I just have this natural inkling for it. I love to be surrounded by arts and although I do like reading, I find I get a better grasp of a story through art and pictures. That saying, ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’ is so true for me. A story told through art really sticks in my mind. What question do you think visitors will ask most? Interestingly, I think we’ll get a lot of questions that aren’t directed towards just the art on display. I think people will ask me about my experience as a female student studying art in the Middle East. I’m expecting a lot of questions about our culture in the UAE too. People like to meet with locals and we’re there to talk. What answer secured your role as ambassador? They asked me why I was interested in the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and I gave them a long answer. I think I said it is an important phase in Abu Dhabi’s history. We are a city that is trying to offer more in regards to art and culture and this will be a big draw for all. Before, the local perspective on art was not that important, it was just decorative. That’s because there was no accessibility. But now that we studying it in colleges and we’re hosting places like Louvre Abu Dhabi, that mindset is changing. That encourages people to get involved.
Art: Traditional or contemporary?
I love paintings myself. I’m not really a huge fan of conceptual art, I prefer more traditional works like renaissance paintings. I’m just drawn to them. My favourite artist you ask, well, I have too many. Maybe I’d go with Vincent van Gogh because he was the first artist I studied. I tried to imitate his painting the ‘White House at Night’ too. On the more contemporary side, I’d go for Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei. His art is usually based around politics and one of his pieces will actually be on display at Louvre Abu Dhabi. That’s really exciting. What will your role involve? We have attended sessions on the role of museums in society, how to interpret artwork, and we also had training in presentations about art. We are expected to volunteer for 16 hours a month for six months, but I’m doing this for more than credits. I don’t even get credits actually. I’m doing this for me. I want to broaden my knowledge.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com